In a case that underscores Nigeria’s mounting battle against transnational cybercrime, the Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced nine Chinese nationals to one year in prison for their role in a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate.
The convicted individuals, including two women, were found guilty of orchestrating a criminal network that allegedly sought to undermine the nation’s economic and social systems.
Presiding judge, Justice Daniel Osiagor, delivered the judgment following a plea bargain agreement between the convicts and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge also imposed a fine of ₦1 million on each convict and ordered the forfeiture of all items seized during their arrest, including laptops, computers, and office furniture.
The convicts—Zhao Xiang Hui, Liu Hai Rong, Liu Gang, Du Ji Geng, Li Dong, Huang Bo, Xhiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, and Deng Wei Qiang—were among over 700 individuals apprehended during a sweeping EFCC raid on December 10, 2024, at a high-rise on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island. Of those arrested, 158 were foreign nationals, making it the agency’s most extensive cybercrime bust to date.
The EFCC accused the group of engaging in financial terrorism by recruiting Nigerian youths to engage in identity theft and impersonate foreigners online to commit financial fraud. Their actions were deemed to have violated Section 18 of the Cybercrimes Act (2015, as amended in 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, EFCC counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, confirmed the plea deal and urged the court to adopt the agreed terms. Defence lawyer Folarin Damela did not contest the arrangement, instead urging the court to finalize the process in line with the plea.
The amended one-count charge was read aloud in open court, and all nine defendants pleaded guilty, confirming they had entered the agreement voluntarily. Justice Osiagor subsequently sentenced the group, with their prison terms to run retroactively from the date of their arrest in December 2024.
In a final order, the court directed the Nigerian Immigration Service to deport the convicts to China upon completion of their sentences.
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