A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced nine Chinese nationals to one year in prison after they were convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud
Justice D. E. Osiagor delivered the judgment on Thursday, June 5, 2025, following the defendants’ guilty pleas.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which carried out the arrests during a large-scale sting operation in December 2024, disclosed that the group was part of a wider network involving 792 suspects linked to fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and romance scams.
According to the EFCC’s statement posted on X, the convicted individuals—Li Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang, and Du Ji Feng—were arraigned in February 2025 on a single-count charge.
The charge accused them of unlawfully accessing computer systems with intent to compromise Nigeria’s economic and social infrastructure—an offense under Section 27 (1)(b) and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.
Following their admission of guilt, EFCC counsel Nnaemeka Omewa urged the court to proceed with sentencing, a request that went uncontested.
Each defendant received a one-year sentence, retroactive to their arrest date on December 10, 2024, and was also fined ₦1 million. Justice Osiagor further directed that the convicts be deported to China within seven days after completing their jail terms.
In addition, electronic devices recovered from the group—including phones, laptops, computers, and routers—were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.
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