The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, remanded 109 foreign nationals in custody of Kuje and Suleja Correctional Centres over alleged cybercrime offences.
The foreign nationals were nabbed in Abuja on Saturday November 3, 2024, during a raid operation led by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, AIG Benneth Igweh.
The team of police detectives that arrested the suspected cyber felons were drawn from the Nigeria Police Force Zone 7 Command Abuja and the National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC).
This was as the 2024 Conference of Police Public Relations Officers (PPROs) and Communications Experts holding in Asaba, Delta State, also came to a close with award of recognitions bestowed on PPROs of FCT, Bauchi, Delta, and Abia States, as well as ASP Julius Robinson, a commander of a tactical team within the Delta State Command, in recognition of their exemplary performance in fulfilling their lawful and expected responsibilities.
The defendants, who were identified as citizens of China, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil, Malaysia amongst others are facing a six-count charge brought against them by the Cybercrime Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
The six count charges include conspiracy, unlawful access to data, marketing scam, computer related fraud, money laundering and illegal migration.
The trial judge, Justice Ekerete Akpan remanded the male defendants in Kuje correctional centre, Abuja, and ordered that the female suspects be kept in Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State, pending their arraignment.
The court subsequently adjourned the case to Friday, November 29, 2024. While adjourning the matter, Justice Akpan directed counsel for the Brazilians to file a formal application for the severance of the trial of his clients.
The court equally gave approval for the other defendants to produce their travelling documents for their proper names to be ascertained since the prosecution maintained that most of them were arrested without their papers.
Meanwhile, the adjournment came on a day the five Brazilians that were listed as defendants in the charge, pleaded with the court to conduct a separate trial for them.
They equally begged the court not to remand them together with the other defendants.
Counsel to the Brazilians, Mr. Eric Oba, who spoke on their behalf, told the court that his clients made extrajudicial statements to the police that their co-defendants were not happy about.
The other defendants developed ill-feelings for them after the statements. My clients are afraid for their safety and will wish to be allowed to remain at the police facility,” Oba added.
Apart from notifying the court of their intention to apply for the severance of their case from that of the other defendants, Oba stressed that his clients’ passports were seized from them by their employer, after they arrived in Nigeria.
He made an oral application for the passports to be returned to the Brazilian government.
Earlier, counsel to the other defendants, Mr. James Onoja, SAN, persuaded the court to shelve their planned arraignment, following what he observed as discrepancies in their names.
Onoja, noted that some of the names that were given to the defendants were not their proper names.
“My lord, I believe that it behoves on the defendants to provide their travel documents so that their proper names will be reflected on the charge sheet.
“We think that the arraignment cannot happen this morning as scheduled. This application is brought in good faith and we urge my lord to grant it,” the defence counsel submitted.”
Though the prosecution counsel, Mr. A. A. Egwu, said he was not opposed to the request for the matter to be adjourned, he drew the attention of the court to an ex-parte motion he filed for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional centre, pending their arraignment.
“My lord, we are currently overwhelmed. We don’t have the facility to keep all the defendants. The learned silk representing the defendants can confirm this. Our operation has been shut down,” Egwu pleaded.
Confirming the development, Onoja aligned himself with the request for the defendants to be transferred to a correctional centre.
“I went there yesterday and my lord I saw them (defendants) sitting around, under the staircase, everywhere.
“It was not healthy at all. The police don’t have the facility for the volume of people I saw there yesterday,” Onoja told the court.
Also a statement by the Force Spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the 2024 Conference of Police Public Relations Officers (PPROs) and Communications Experts, which was themed “Strengthening the Nigeria Police Force Oversight and Accountability,” aided in equipping PPROs with the required expertise for effective communication, police accountability, improved human relations and public trust, was facilitated by resource persons and experts in the Public Relations sector, NGOs, International organisations and experts in other relevant fields.
The Inspector General, Kayode Egbetokun while noting that the conference was a milestone achievement towards a more effective policing strategy, thanked Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for hosting the event.
Linus Aleke
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