Court Grants N1 Billion Bail to 109 Foreign Hackers. 

Court Grants N1 Billion Bail to 109 Foreign Hackers, Seizes Passports

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 109 alleged foreign hackers accused of cybercrime and attempting to defraud Nigerians. Justice Ekerete Akpan set the collective bail sum at N1 billion, requiring five sureties for the defendants, each responsible for N200 million.

The court specified stringent bail conditions, including the submission of affidavits of means and ownership of properties within Abuja worth at least N200 million. Title deeds for these properties must be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar, who will verify the sureties’ residential addresses.

Furthermore, the court ordered the defendants to surrender their international passports and restricted them from traveling outside Nigeria until the trial concludes. Each defendant and their sureties must also provide two recent passport photographs. Pending compliance with these conditions, the accused will remain in custody, with male defendants detained at Kuje prison and female defendants held at Keffi prison in Nasarawa State.

Details of the Case and Allegations

The defendants, hailing from countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, and Myanmar, face a six-count charge filed by the Cybercrime Unit of the Nigeria Police Force. Charges include cybercrime, money laundering, and illegal residency.

The police allege that the defendants were apprehended at a building in Katampe District, Abuja, where they were allegedly engaged in cybercrime operations. The charge sheet, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024, accuses them of conspiring to commit cybercrime in violation of Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024). They are also charged with manipulating computer data to create false authenticity, punishable under Section 13 of the same Act.

Legal Proceedings

During the court hearing, the defendants, represented by Dr. Ogwu Onoja, SAN, and Eric Oba, requested bail, assuring the court of their willingness to stand trial and comply with all conditions. Their legal team emphasized that the accused individuals would not abscond.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr. A. A. Egwu, left the decision on bail to the court’s discretion but urged that the conditions ensure the defendants’ attendance at trial. Notably, five Brazilian defendants—Lucas Costa Da Silva, Renan Ricardo Souza Rocha, Nelson Rocha Cardoso Neto, Rhuan Filippe Albuquerque Le Lonnes, and Aguiar Rodrigues Djeanne—had earlier sought separate trials.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were translated into their respective languages by interpreters.

The case has been adjourned to February 27, 2025, for trial, where the prosecution will present evidence against the accused. Meanwhile, compliance with the bail conditions will determine the defendants’ release from custody as they await their day in court.