A Federal Excessive Courtroom in Lagos has convicted and sentenced 9 Chinese language nationals to 1 yr imprisonment every for web fraud and cyber-terrorism.
The convicts have been half of a bigger syndicate of 792 suspects arrested over alleged cryptocurrency funding and romance fraud on December 19, 2024, throughout a sting operation code-named “Eagle Flush Operation,” carried out by operatives of the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC).
The convicted people, Li Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang, and Du Ji Feng, have been subsequently arraigned on separate one-count expenses of cyberterrorism and web fraud in February 2025 by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Ikoyi.
Delivering judgment, Justice D. E. Osiagor convicted and sentenced the 9 defendants to 1 yr imprisonment, as confirmed in an official assertion launched by the EFCC.
The cost towards them learn: “That you just, Li Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang, and Du Ji Feng, someday in December 2024 at Lagos, throughout the jurisdiction of this Honourable Courtroom, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: trigger to be accessed a pc system used for the aim of destabilizing and destroying the economic system and social construction of Nigeria and thereby dedicated an offence opposite to Part 27 (1) (b) and punishable beneath Part 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, and many others.) Act 2015.”
Initially, the defendants had pleaded “not responsible” to the costs throughout their first court docket look. Nonetheless, through the listening to on Thursday, June 5, 2025, they modified their plea to “responsible”, resulting in their conviction.
The EFCC prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, requested the court docket to convict and sentence them primarily based on their responsible plea. The protection counsel didn’t oppose the request and urged the court docket to simply accept the sentencing as proposed.
Following this, Justice Osiagor dominated that every defendant would serve one yr in jail, ranging from their date of arrest on December 10, 2025. Moreover, they have been fined N1 million every.
Aside from their imprisonment, the court docket ordered the Comptroller Common of Immigration to make sure their repatriation to China inside seven days following the completion of their sentence.
Moreover, cell phones, computer systems, laptops, and routers seized throughout their arrest have been forfeited to the Federal Authorities of Nigeria, as a part of the authorized proceedings.
