Court Fines 21 Foreign Hackers ₦1m Each for Cybercrime, Orders Deportation

Justice Akpan has convicted 21 foreigners for cybercrime, fined them ₦1 million each, and ordered their deportation within six days after a plea bargain with the police.

Justice Ekerete Akpan of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has convicted 21 foreign nationals for their involvement in high-level cybercrime, imposing a fine of ₦1 million each and ordering their deportation within six working days.

Delivering judgment based on a plea bargain agreement between the defendants and the Nigeria Police Force, Justice Akpan said:

“After the defendants entered the plea bargain agreement without being forced, I hereby convict you as charged. The sentence shall be based on the parties’ agreement of ₦1 million fine each, against each of the defendants, which shall be paid before their release. They shall depart the country within six working days.”

The judge also ordered that all gadgets used in the cybercrimes be forfeited to the Federal Government.

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The convicts are part of a group of 109 foreign nationals facing prosecution for charges including cybercrime, money laundering, and threats to national security.

They were first arraigned in 2024 on a six-count charge, having operated an unregistered, fraudulent gaming platform from Plot 1906, Cadastral Zone 807, Katampe District, Abuja.

The accused, who hail from China, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, initially pleaded not guilty and were remanded at Kuje and Keffi Correctional Centres, with stringent bail conditions set in November 2024 — including ₦1 billion bail and five sureties with ₦200 million worth of property each.

They faced charges for:

• Unlawful access to computer networks and input of fake data, punishable under the Cybercrimes Act
• Laundering illegal funds, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022
• Overstaying their 30-day business permits, an offence under the Immigration Act, 2015

The 21 convicted individuals, including Yang Yang (33), Li Xiao Fen (41), Zheng Peng Zhan (28), Shu Huan (20), and Tue Xue Fie (21, female), were represented by lawyers Linda Ikpeazu and Julius Mba.

The trial of the remaining 88 defendants continues on October 22 and 23, 2025.