The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 109 foreign nationals accused of cyber crime, setting bail conditions at a total of N1 billion.
Justice Ekerete Akpan, presiding over the case on Friday, ruled in favor of the application argued by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Dr. Ogwu James Onoja.
As part of the bail conditions, each defendant must produce five sureties who will provide N200 million each. The sureties must reside in Abuja, own landed property worth N200 million, and submit original property documents for verification by the court registrar. They are also required to swear affidavits of means and provide two passport photographs.
Justice Akpan further ordered that all defendants and their sureties surrender their original travel documents to the court and refrain from leaving Nigeria during the trial. Until bail conditions are met, the male defendants will remain in Kuje Prison, while the female defendants will be held in Keffi Prison, Nasarawa State.
The 109 defendants, who include nationals from China, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges brought against them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The charges relate to cybercrimes allegedly committed in Abuja in 2024.
Justice Akpan emphasized that bail is at the court’s discretion and intended to allow defendants to prepare their defense. He noted that the charges were not capital offenses and therefore bailable. Despite objections raised by the IGP’s counsel, A.S. Egwu, the court maintained that the presumption of innocence applies until proven otherwise.
The case has been adjourned to February 27, 2025, for trial. At the time of this report, the defendants remain in remand pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions.
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