The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday granted a total of N1bn bail to 109 foreign nationals arrested on allegations of their involvement in high-level cybercrime and hacking activities said to be a threat to the nation’s security.
The presiding judge, Justice Ekerete Akpan directed the defendants to provide five sureties, each required to provide a sum of N200 million.
The court stated that the sureties must submit affidavits of means and own properties within the Abuja metropolitan area valued at no less than N200 million, adding that the title deeds of the properties must be submitted to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the high court.
The court also ordered that all defendants should surrender their international passports and also banned them from traveling outside the country until the conclusion of their trial.
Furthermore, both the defendants and their sureties must also submit two recent passport photographs, adding that the defendants must remain in custody pending the fulfillment of all bail conditions.
The court further ruled that the male defendants are to be held at Kuje prison while the female defendants should be detained at Keffi prison in Nasarawa State and the case was adjourned until February 27, 2025 for trial.
The defendants, identified as citizens of China, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar, face a six-count charge filed against them by the Cybercrime Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
More details later.