14 Filipinos and Genting International Co. Ltd. have been arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the EFCC before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi for internet fraud and cyber-terrorism.
The 14 cyber-terrorists were suspected to be part of a 792-member syndicate and picked up on December 10, 2024, by the security agency during their “Eagle Flush Operation.”
Their charges include possession of fraudulent documents, cybercrime, impersonation, identity theft, and cyberterrorism. Among the accused are Marj Maranga, Zara Fabian, and Jonalyn Mendoza.
The news was made known through a statement issued by EFCC on Thursday on their X account.
The charge against Dela Cruz reads: “That you, Mary Grace Dela Cruz, and Genting International Co. Ltd sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That of Aquilesca reads: “That you, Krystel Aquilesca, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for your employer fraudulently impersonated one ‘TETEEL’ by holding yourself out as such, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
“They all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, following which prosecution counsel, M.K Bashir, N.K. Ukoha, and Bilkisu Buhari, respectively, prayed the court for trial dates and for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional centre. Justice Kakaki adjourned the matter till March 13, 2025, for trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre,” the statement added.