The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday granted a total of N1bn bail to 109 foreign nationals detained on allegations of their alleged involvement in high-level cybercrime and hacking activities said to be threatening the nation’s security.
Justice Ekerete Akpan, while delivering a ruling in the bail application moved by the defence counsel, James Onoja, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel A. A Egwu, ordered the defendants to present five sureties alongside the sum.
The court ruled that each of the sureties must own a landed property within the Abuja metropolis.
The judge further directed that each surety must submit two recent passport photographs to the court.
Additionally, the defendants are required to submit the original copies of their passports to the court’s deputy registrar.
The court also ordered that the sureties must also submit their passports to the court.
After the accused persons took their plea, the defence counsel made his application for bail for the defendants.
He said, “My Lord, we filed motion for bail in respect of the first to 99th defendants and 105th to 109th defendants.
“We know that the essence of bail is to allow the defendants to appear and stand trial. That is what is allowed in the law and Administration of Criminal Justice Act. I proposed to the prosecutor this morning that we are all interested in the defendants being present for trial so I said we are ready to submit all the passports of the defendants.
“All the travel documents of all the defendants will be submitted. I know they cannot travel without their documents and then we are also willing to provide five guarantors to provide them on bail. Reliable guarantors to take them on bail.”
Onoja also informed the court that the prosecution served him with a counter affidavit on Thursday.
The defence counsel to the Brazilians Eric Oba – aligned his request for bail for his clients with that of Onoja stating that although he has not applied for bail, he would want the court to also consider his clients for bail in addition to the others.
Oba is representing the 100th to 104th defendants in the matter.
The prosecution, however, did not object to the submission of the defence counsel that their clients be granted bail.
He confirmed the submissions Onoja made and told the court they are only concerned that the defendants be present for trial.
The judge, however, expressed concern about the defendants posing flight risk if granted bail but Onoja reiterated that with the deposition of their passport, they will be unable to run away.
Onoja further added that they will also ready to provide the court with five strong sureties.Upon the consideration of the submission for bail by the defendants counsel, the court agreed with Onoja that the essence of bail is to allow defendants prepare for defence.
The judge said that he was not unmindful of the fact that the accused persons are foreigners but that the law of the country presumes them innocent until proven otherwise.
He added that the charges against the foreigners are not capital ones and as such bail able with conditions.
The judge ordered that pending the perfection of their bail conditions, the males among the accused persons should be remanded at Kuje prison while the females are to be kept at Keffi prison in Nasarawa State.
He subsequently adjourned till February 27, 2025 for trial with the 109 defendants facing trial on a six-count bordering on cybercrimes allegedly committed in Katampe, Abuja in 2024.
