Cybercrime: Benin Republic sentences Nigerian students to jail

Dozens of Nigerian students were arrested in the Benin Republic and will stand trial for alleged cybercrime.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora, said the details on the situation were sent in a brief by the Nigerian ambassador to the Benin Republic, Kayode Oguntuase.

In the brief, Oguntuase said the Aglagandan commissioner of police alleged that based on intelligence, the students were placed on surveillance and they were caught perpetrating cybercrime.

Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that seven out of the 12 students detained on allegations of cybercrime had been released on bail.

The names of the suspects were given as Mathew Langgapp, Bayo Oyenuga, Tari Bori, Samuel Akinwande, Dunchi Dennis, Steven Porobunu, Chuckwudi Valentine, Peter Ochani, David Esu, Emmanuel Chukwuneke, Timi Ogunleye and Jacob Oluwatobi.

Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the media aide of Dabiri-Erewa, explained that the students were arrested by the police without the knowledge of the Nigerian Embassy in the Benin Republic.

Oguntuase added that a meeting had been scheduled with the Porto Novo Tribunal Prosecutor to address the problems of indiscriminate arrest of Nigerians for alleged crimes in the country, while a fair trial would be demanded for the arrested party.