The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has remanded 14 Phillipine nationals who were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of cybercrime, impersonation, and identity theft.
The suspects, including Marj Maranga, Zara Fabian, Jonalyn Mendoza, and Mary Dela-Cruz, were arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki following their arrest during a surprise operation tagged Eagle Flush Operation.
The foreign nationals appeared before the court on charges bordering on cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretenses, and fraudulently impersonating foreigners to gain financial advantages in the country.
One of the charges against Mary Grace Dela Cruz reads: “That you, Mary Dela-Cruz and Genting International, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria.”
Another charge against Krystel Aquilesca accuses her of fraudulently impersonating one ‘TETEEL’ to gain financial benefits for her employer.
After the charges were read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty to the allegations levied against them by the anti-graft agency, a development that prompted the prosecution counsel M.K. Bashir, N.K. Ukoha, and Bilkisu Buhari to request new trial dates and the remand of the defendants in a correctional center.
After their plea, Justice Kakaki adjourned the case until March 13, 2025, for trial and ordered the defendants to be remanded pending further proceedings.
