Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced eight Filipino nationals to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The convicts, Beverlyn Casino, Mae Eribal, Mary Grace Dela Cruz, Jamal Polea, Tricia Castro, Rai Camara, Cherry De Leon, and Danica Jarapan were arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges of possessing fraudulent documents.
According to one of the charges, Casino was accused of accessing computer systems in a manner aimed at destabilising Nigeria’s economic and social structures.
She was said to have recruited youths for identity theft and impersonation of foreign nationals for financial gain, an offence punishable under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to a statement on the X handle of the EFCC, on Tuesday, June 3, all eight defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
The statement reads:
“Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, convicted and sentenced eight Filipinos to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
“The convicts are: Beverlyn Casino, Mae Eribal, Mary Grace Dela Cruz, Jamal Polea, Tricia Castro, Rai Camara, Cherry De Leon and Danica Jarapan
“They were arraigned on Tuesday by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on separate charges of possession of fraudulent documents.
“They all pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charges when they were read to them.
“In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, N.K. Ukoha, prayed the court to convict the defendants as charged.
“Justice Owoeye convicted and sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment each, with a fine of N1,000,000.00( One Million Naira).
“The Judge also ordered the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, to ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days upon completion of their sentences.
“The devices recovered from the defendants were also ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud. They are among the 792 suspects rounded up in December 2024 in Victoria Island, Lagos. They were charged to court and jailed.” [CONTINUE READING HERE]>>>>>
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