The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, on Monday, June 23, 2025, sentenced 17 Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
This followed the arraignment of the Chinese nationals by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a separate one-count charge of cyber- terrorism and internet fraud in February 2025.
They were among the syndicate of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects arrested in Lagos on December 19, 2024, during a sting operation by EFCC operatives.
One of the charges read: “That you, Yu Hui,( A.K.A A.Bin), Huang Jin Hui, Fei Fan, LU Qiang, HU Xi Zheng, Sun Zhi Peng, WU Hao, Cong Bing, LI Qiang ( A.K.A Yang Huan Huan), Zheng Wei( A.K.A .A Hong), Cheng Jian, DA Tou, A Wen, Huang Zhi, Zhang Lei. sometime in December, 2024 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, caused to be accessed computer system used for the purpose of destabilising and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015.”
The Chinese nationals initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them.
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However, during Monday’s sitting, they all changed their “not guilty plea” to “guilty.”
The prosecution counsel, Nneemeka Omewa, U.S Kyari, and B. M.Isah, informed the court of the plea bargain entered into by the defendants.
Responding, the defence counsel agreed with the submissions of the prosecution and prayed the courts to accept the same.
Justices D. E.Osiagor and Justice D.I. Dipeolu convicted and sentenced each of the defendants to one year imprisonment, starting from the date of arrest on December 10, 2025, with a fine in the sum of N1,000,000.
The judges directed the Comptroller General of Immigration to ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days.
The judges also ordered that the mobile phones, computers, laptop computers, and routers seized from them at the time of arrest be forfeited to the federal government.
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