EFCC Crushes International Cyber Fraud Ring, 11 Sent to Jail

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The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday secured the conviction and sentencing of four Filipinos and seven Nigerians for cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The EFCC disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X handle, @officialEFCC, on Sunday.

According to the statement, the convicted Filipinos are Reyna Mae Eriba, Chyna Samonte, Zara Fabian, and Dominique Medina. The Nigerians convicted alongside them are Chidera Ezechukwu, Favour Oluchukwu, Egwenum Ifeanyi, David Okezie, Gbenga Shittu Solomon, Ibraheem Olamilekan, and Oghomienor Jotham.

They were prosecuted on separate charges bordering on cyberterrorism and internet fraud.

One of the charges against Samonte reads:
“That you, Chynna Samonte, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully caused computer systems to be accessed and organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structures of Nigeria by procuring/employing Nigerian youths for identity theft and encouraging them to present themselves as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves. You thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

A charge against Ezechukwu reads:
“That you, Chidera Ezechukwu, sometime in May 2025, in Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did retain the sum of N12,750,318.63 (Twelve Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighteen Naira, Sixty-three Kobo) in your UBA account with account number 2330149541. You reasonably ought to have known that the sum formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: engaging in an online dating scam. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 (as amended) and punishable under Section 14(2) of the same Act.”

All defendants pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them. Following their pleas, the prosecuting counsel — Anita Imo, S.I. Suleiman, H.U. Kofarnaisa, and B.M. Isah — requested the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, and to order the forfeiture of all recovered items to the Federal Government.

Justice Bogoro thereafter convicted and sentenced Eriba, Samonte, Fabian, and Medina to one year imprisonment each, with an option of a N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) fine. He further ordered the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure their deportation to their country of origin within seven days after completing their sentences.

Gbenga Shittu Solomon was sentenced to one year in prison, or an option of a N700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. Jotham, Olamilekan, Ezechukwu, David, Ifeanyi, and Oluchukwu were each sentenced to one year imprisonment or an option of a N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.

Additionally, the judge ordered that all items recovered from the convicts — including vehicles, communication devices, and money — be forfeited to the Federal Government.