A Federal Excessive Court docket sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced two Chinese language nationals to 46 years’ imprisonment every for cyberterrorism and web fraud involving over N3.4 billion and $2.5 million.
That is in keeping with an announcement issued by the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) on its official X account on Wednesday.
The convictions stem from a large-scale cybercrime operation uncovered by the anti-graft company throughout a coordinated crackdown on on-line fraud syndicates working in Lagos.
In response to the EFCC, Justice Daniel Osiagor convicted the Chinese language nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, after discovering them responsible of cyberterrorism, web fraud and cash laundering.
The fee stated the convicts had been arrested alongside one Friday Audu. The anti-graft company acknowledged that Audu allegedly integrated Genting Worldwide Co. Ltd. on the directive of Huang Haoyu to facilitate the fraudulent operation.
Whereas Huang and Hongxu pleaded responsible after their counsel, Bridget Omateno, knowledgeable the court docket of their resolution to vary their pleas, Audu maintained his plea of not responsible.
Prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala-Buhari, informed the court docket that two witnesses had already testified earlier than the change of plea. She urged the court docket to impose life imprisonment on counts one to 3 and 14 years’ imprisonment on counts 4 to seven.
The convictions of Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, the case had roots in one of many largest cybercrime crackdowns Nigeria has seen lately.
In December 2024, the EFCC acted on months of intelligence a few subtle fraud community working out of Lagos. On December 10 and into December 19, operatives executed a shock raid below the title “Eagle Flush Operation,” sweeping by way of a gaggle of properties in Victoria Island and Ikoyi and arresting 792 suspects linked to alleged cryptocurrency funding and romance scams.
Among the many suspects had been dozens of international nationals from a number of international locations, with 148 Chinese language and 40 Filipinos reportedly detained alongside a couple of from different nations.
Nigerian accomplices had been recruited and educated to create and handle faux on-line personas on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram to pose as international professionals or romantic companions to lure victims in North America, Europe and elsewhere into believing they had been participating with official alternatives or relationships. After belief was established, victims had been pushed into faux cryptocurrency funding schemes that required activation charges or upfront funds.
They had been arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC on a seven-count cost bordering on cyberterrorism, web fraud and cash laundering to the tune of N3,407,824,740.78 and $2,562,203.
One of many fees learn:
In Might 2025, the EFCC arrested 120 suspected web fraudsters in Lagos as a part of its efforts to disrupt on-line fraud networks.
The company additionally arrested 28 alleged Ponzi scheme operators in Minna, Niger State, accusing them of luring traders into fraudulent “funding” offers that promised unrealistic returns and accumulating charges, with plans for arraignment.
