A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced 18 foreign nationals to one year in prison each for their involvement in cybercrime, fraud, impersonation, and attempts to destabilize Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
The convicts, part of a group of 193 foreign nationals arrested in December 2024, were found guilty of using Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain.
They were also linked to a global cybercrime and cryptocurrency fraud syndicate that targeted victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that the syndicate, known as “HK,” operated with over 1,500 laptops and 4,000 mobile phones, training youths in romance and investment scams.
The group allegedly used platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to defraud victims, with fees starting at $35. One defendant’s account reportedly received over N3.4 billion in fraud proceeds.
Justices Chukwujekwu Aneke and Yellim Bogoro presided over the convictions, delivered in two separate rulings.
The convicts were sentenced to one year imprisonment retroactively from December 10, 2024, and fined N1 million each.
The court also ordered their deportation within seven days after serving their sentences and paying the fines, and forfeited all devices used in the crimes to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
