The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the 109 foreign nationals arraigned for high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities that threaten Nigeria’s national security bail.

The court granted them bail to the tune of N1billion.

This is even as the presiding judge, Justice Ekerete Akpan, also held that the defendants should produce five sureties to tune of N200 million each, in like sum.

According to the presiding judge, each surety is expected to have a landed property in like sum of N200 million and should deposit their recent passport photograph to the court.

The defendants are also expected to deposit their international passports with the Registrar of the Federal High Court in Maitama.

It would be recalled that the 109 defendants had earlier pleaded “not guilty” to the six-count charge levelled against them but Justice Akpan took a short recess to rule on their bail application filed by their counsel, Ogwu Onoja, SAN.

Ibom Focus earlier reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered that the 109 foreigners linked to high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities threatening national security be remanded in Kuje and Suleja correctional facilities until the next adjourned date (today).

Counsel to some of the defendants, Ogwu Onoja, had told the court that there was need to have interpreters who would be present in court during proceedings for the sake of those who do not understand spoken English.

Counsel to the Brazilian defendants, Eric Oba, also asked the court to separate his clients from other defendants, but the court declined, noting that arraignment had not been done.

After listening to the submission of the lawyers in the suit, the trial judge had adjourned the case to November 29, for arraignment.

The defendants, who were identified as citizens of China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia and Myanmar, are facing a six-count charge that was entered against them by the Nigeria Police Force.

According to police, the defendants were arrested at a building situated at plot 1906, Cadestral Zone 807, Katampe District of Abuja, where they were said to be engaging in cybercrime.

Aside from cybercrime, the defendants were also charged for money laundering and an allegation that they were residing in Nigeria, illegally.

The operatives of Zamfara State Hisbah Commission have clashed with Police officers in Gusau, for allegedly taking women to hotels.

Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the Executive Chairman of Zamfara State Hisbah Commission, Sheikh Umar Hassan Gusau who spoke through his Director Operations, Lawal Abubakar Maradun said the Police have severrally been advised to desist from such acts but they persist

According to him, the police men always claim that they are security officers that Hisbah operatives have no constitutional right to challenge them.

“Our men on Monday caught some of them and confronted them which resulted in the clash which took us to the State Police headquarters”, he said.

When we arrest police men with a women in hotels, the police men would identify themselves while the women would not be able to identify themselves.

“However, those women would be arrested for alleged prostitution, we would warn them to desist from such illegal acts and if they are arrested again, they would be prosecuted”

“These police officers are supposed to be enforcing the law, but they are law breakers. knowing fully well that Zamfara is a Sharia State”, he lamented.

He said the officers involved are junior security men and that no senior security operative has been arrested before.

“The matter took us to the State Police Command headquarters so the commissioner could have knowledge of what his men are involved in”

“The Police Commissioner, Muhammad Dalija blamed his men for such immoral acts and warned them to desist”

“There is no doubt that the State. Hisbah Commission has ma utual understanding with the senior security officers in the state”

He said that his operatives have recently arrested over 200 youth for drug abuse, pointing out that many of them have been prosecuted, after several warnings.

He noted that the commission has the power to arrest, detain and prosecute offenders of the Sharia laws, stressing that the offenders would be warned, but any offence after the warning, the person must be charged to court.

The Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, has detained a self-acclaimed licensed Bureau De Change, BDC, operator, Chinedu Ngwaka, over alleged fraud of N320 million.

The FCID’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Aminat Mayegun, confirmed the arrest and detention in a post on her X handle on Wednesday.

She said that the police received a petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Mr Ayodeji Ogundele, FCID Annex, Lagos on September 9.

She explained the arrest followed a petition filed by one Chinedu Laz and Partners (Deo Gratia Chambers) on behalf of Mr Tochukwu Unachukwu, the Managing Director of Casco Electronics Company Limited, that Ngwaka and wife, Janet were involved in a fraudulent scheme amounting to N320 million.

According to her, upon receipt of the petition, detectives from the Special Investigations Team, SIT of the Anti-Fraud Section attached to FCID Annex in Lagos State swiftly swung into investigation, leading to the arrest of the suspect.

PPRO said that further investigation revealed that between March and May this year, Unachukwu made payments totaling N320 million to Ngwaka and Jane his wife.

“Unachukwu made payment of N320 million through an account belonging to Ngwaka’s company, Edunaco Multiple Resources Limited and Bright Janes World, for the procurement of $200,000 USD to facilitate the supply of goods from China.

“However, additional intelligence uncovered fraudulent document, including a telex confirmation from Zenith Bank, which purportedly shows the completion of the transactions in two $100,000 USD tranches.

“The Chinese suppliers confirmed that no such funds were received,” she said.