Internet Fraud: 11 Filipinos, 2 Chinese, 2 others jailed in Nigeria

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Two Federal Court in Nigeria sitting in Lagos have sentenced 11 Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian and one Indonesian to one year imprisonment each after they pleaded guilty to charges bordering on cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The 15 foreigners were were arraigned before the court presided over by Justices Yellim Bogoro and A. O. Owoeye on Friday, May 30, 2025, on separate charges bordering on possession of fraudulent documents by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The convicts are: Winnie De Jesus, Kayceelynn Remorin, Irish Chna, Darwisa Esmael, Kimberly Nisperos, Savien Cire Renovilla, Zeng Zerong and Guo Bin,

Others are: Jessa Sanchi, Jhena Sarmiento, Rain Torida, Rex Jose Dilag (aka Madison), Tan Soon Kar, Fernando Fu Fang and Beverlyin Gumayo (aka Veb Sumayo.)

One of the counts reads: “That you, WINNIE DE JESUS & GENTING INTERNATIONAL Co. LTD, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3) (d) of the Terrorism (Prevention,
Prohibition) Act, 2022”.

Another count reads: “ That you, KAYCEELYN REMORIN and GENTING INTERNATIONAL CO. LIMITED, on or about the 18th of December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise the economic and social structure of Nigeria (which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes) when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024)”.

In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, N.K.Ukoha, T.J.Banjo and N.C. Mutfwang, respectively, requested that the defendants be convicted as charged.

The Judges, consequently, convicted and sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment each, with a fine of N1,000,000.00( One Million Naira).

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, was ordered to ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their countries of origin within seven days upon completion of their sentences.

The Judges also ordered that the devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.