Arraignment of 133 foreigners over alleged cybercrime stalls

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has shifted the arraignment of 133 foreign nationals accused of high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities deemed to endanger national security. 
  
Justice Ekerete Akpan adjourned the proceedings, originally scheduled for yesterday, due to the absence of defence counsel. The court fixed November 22 as a new date to allow the defendants to secure legal representation.
  
The suspects, who face a six-count charge involving cybercrime, are to remain in police custody until the next hearing.  The 113 foreign nationals—87 men and 26 women—from countries such as China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, and Malaysia, are being arraigned along with 17 Nigerian accomplices.
  
The defendants were apprehended on November 3, 2024, in a coordinated raid on the Jahi area of Abuja, where they were allegedly involved in criminal operations, using computers and advanced technology. 
  
The operation was led by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 7, Abuja, Benneth Igweh, and involved personnel from the Nigeria Police Force Zone 7 Command and the National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC). The Nigeria Police Force is the complainant in the suit marked FH/ABJ/CR/599/2024.