Court Grants N1bn Bail to 109 Alleged Foreign Hackers, Orders Passport Seizure

Abuja — The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 109 alleged foreign hackers accused of cybercrime activities targeting Nigerians, setting the bail sum at N1 billion.

Trial Justice Ekerete Akpan outlined stringent conditions for the bail, including:

Each defendant must provide five sureties, each with N200 million.
The sureties must own properties in Abuja valued at no less than N200 million, with title deeds submitted for verification.
Defendants must surrender their international passports and remain within Nigeria for the duration of the trial.

The court also mandated that the defendants remain in custody until all bail conditions are met. Male defendants are to be held at Kuje Prison, while female defendants will stay at Keffi Prison, Nasarawa State.

Case Details

The accused, citizens of countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, and Malaysia, face a six-count charge brought by the Cybercrime Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

Key allegations include:

Cybercrime under Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.
Manipulating computer data to appear legitimate (Section 13).
Promoting fraudulent gambling platforms like 9f.com and c2.top.
Money laundering under Section 18 of the Money Laundering Act, 2022.
Overstaying temporary business permits, violating the Immigration Act, 2015.

Defense and Prosecution

The defendants pleaded not guilty, with their legal team pledging full cooperation with the trial. Defense lawyers, Dr. Ogwu Onoja, SAN, and Eric Oba, argued for bail, asserting that the defendants pose no flight risk.

The prosecution counsel, Mr. A. A. Egwu, did not oppose bail but requested stringent conditions to ensure the defendants’ availability during the trial.