A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced 14 Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment over cyberterrorism, cryptocurrency investment fraud, and romance scams.
The convicts, who were among a syndicate of 792 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, during a sting operation code-named ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ in December 2024, had earlier pleaded not guilty but later changed their plea to guilty.
They include Su Zong Gen, Li Zhong Chang, Chen Gui Ping, Li Xiang Long, San Feng Zhang, Jia Yang, Jia Zhi Hao, Liu Chuang, Yu Hai Ging, Zhao Xiao Liang, Dai Li, Tao Kun, Mao Bu Yi, and Zhao Zi Cheng.
The EFCC had arraigned them on separate charges bordering on cyberterrorism and internet fraud. One of the charges reads:
“That you, Su Zong Gen, sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully caused to be accessed computer systems for the purpose of destabilizing and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).”
At Friday’s sitting, following their change of plea, prosecution counsel T.J. Banjo and M.S. Owede urged the court to convict them accordingly.
The defence counsel did not oppose the submission.
Justice Daniel Osiagor thereafter convicted and sentenced the 14 defendants to one year imprisonment each, with an additional fine of N1 million.
The court further ordered that after serving their jail term, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service should ensure their deportation within seven days.
Justice Osiagor also ordered the forfeiture of all items recovered from the convicts to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The EFCC, in December 2024, arrested hundreds of foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, for alleged involvement in cryptocurrency investment scams and online romance fraud targeted at Nigerians.
