109 foreigners charged with operating illegal gambling sites face trial delay
The defendants, citizens of various countries, were said to be engaging in activities that purportedly endangered national security.
Nigeria.- The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of 109 foreigners accused of operating illegal gambling platforms to October 22 and 23, 2025. The trial, which was scheduled for July 2, could not proceed due to the absence of the prosecution lawyer, who cited official commitments as the reason for his unavailability and asked for a postponement.
The presiding judge, Mr Akpan, granted the adjournment, noting that it was the prosecution’s first time of making such a request. However, this development makes it the second time proceedings have been set back. It was originally meant to take place on May 12, but couldn’t proceed due to the trial judge’s absence on official engagement.
The defendants, citizens of various countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Brazil, Malaysia and Myanmar, were apprehended in 2024 at their residence in Plot 1906, Cadastral Zone 807, Katampe District, Abuja, over allegations of committing cybercrime by running a fraudulent and unregistered gaming platform.
The police brought six charges against the foreigners, including cybercrime, money laundering and illegal residency in Nigeria. The defendants were said to be engaging in activities that purportedly endangered national security. As seen in the indictment, these actions contravene Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
The suspects were also accused of accessing a computer network and inputting false data, with an intent to deceive, an offence under Section 13 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
According to the prosecution, many of the defendants entered Nigeria with a 30-day business permit but failed to depart after its expiration, thereby breaching Section 4(2) and Section 44(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 2015.
On November 29, 2024, Judge Apkan granted the foreigners bail in the sum of N1 billion (€563,380). The court also ruled that they must provide five sureties, each with landed property valued at N200 million (€112,676). The sureties were instructed to surrender the original, verified documents of the property and their passports to the court.
The illegal websites the foreigners were accused of promoting include 9f.com, c2.top, and 8pg.top. As of the time of writing, two of the websites are still accessible within the country.
