On Friday, a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted and jailed 14 Chinese nationals for cyberterrorism and Internet fraud.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the individuals were members of a cybercrime syndicate that was dismantled during a sting operation in Lagos on December 19, 2024.
According to a statement released on its 𝕏 account, the anti-corruption agency nabbed 792 suspects for alleged bitcoin investment and romance schemes targeting Nigerians.
They were brought before Justice Daniel Osiagor on separate charges of cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
One of the indictments said that Su Zong Gen intentionally accessed a computer system in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to disrupt and damage Nigeria’s economy and social structure.
The defendants first pled not guilty, but altered their plea to guilty during the proceedings on Friday.
T.J. Banjo and M.S. Owede, the prosecution’s counsel, urged the court to convict the defendants, and the defense team did not challenge the application.
Read Also: Ex-Rivers Commissioner Rejects Tinubu’s Peace Deal, Says Peace Requires Fairness and Equity
Justice Osiagor sentenced each of the defendants to one year in prison, with the option of paying a N1 million fine.
The court further ordered that after serving their sentence or paying the fee, the convicted be deported to China by the Nigerian Immigration Service within seven days.
All items confiscated from convicts upon their arrest were ordered to be forfeited to the federal government.
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 are among the convicted Chinese nationals.
