The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted the 109 foreign nationals allegedly involved in cybercrimes to bail in the sum of N1 billion.
Justice Ekerete Akpan of the court ordered that all the 109 defendants should produce five sureties in the sum of N200 million each.
In addition, the sureties in his verdicts must be residents of Abuja and must each have landed property worth N200 million.
They were granted bail Friday following their bail application, which was argued on their behalf by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Ogwu James Onoja.
Justice Akpan agreed with Ogwu Onoja SAN that the essence of bail is to allow defendants prepare for defence and that granting such bail is at the discretion of the court.
They are to also swear to affidavits of means and submit to the court the original copies of documents of their properties which shall be verified by the registrar of the court.
Justice Akpan further ordered that the accused persons and their five sureties must submit all their original travelling documents with the court registrar and must not travel out of Nigeria throughout the period of their trial.
The defendants and sureties are to also submit two copies of their recent passport photographs with the court.
The judge said he was not unmindful of the fact that the accused persons were foreigners, but that the law of the country presumed innocent until the contrary had been established.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, Justice Akpan ordered that the males among the accused persons be remanded at Kuje prison while the female ones are to be kept at Keffi prison in Nasarawa state.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) had put the 109 defendants on trial on six counts bothering on cybercrimes allegedly committed in Abuja in 2024.
However, the defendants who are mainly Chinese, Indonesians, Brazilians, Philippinos, Vietnamese and Thais pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, Justice Akpan has fixed February 27 next year for their trial.
The IGP was represented at the proceedings by lawyer A. S. Egwu who vehemently objected to the bail of the accused persons through a counter affidavit.
