LAGOS, NIGERIA — Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi has sentenced eight Filipino nationals to one year in prison 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 on May 27, 2025, by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Each faced separate charges for possessing fraudulent documents and orchestrating identity theft operations aimed at destabilizing Nigeria’s economy.
According to court filings, the accused used Nigerian youths for identity theft, posing as foreign nationals in schemes to gain financial advantages. Their actions were found to violate both the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 (as amended 2024) and the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act of 2022.
Upon reading the charges, all eight pleaded guilty. Prosecution counsel N.K. Ukoha urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Owoeye sentenced each defendant to one year imprisonment with an option of a ₦1 million fine. He further ordered that, upon completing their sentences, the Nigeria Immigration Service must deport the convicts to the Philippines within seven days.
Devices recovered during their arrest — including digital equipment used in the crimes — were forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The eight were among 792 individuals arrested in a December 2024 cybercrime sweep conducted by the EFCC in Victoria Island, Lagos.
