NIGERIAN COURT REMANDS 11 CHINESE NATIONALS, ONE FILIPINO FOR ALLEGED INTERNET FRAUD IN LAGOS

On Friday, Justice D.I. Dipeolu presided over the arraignment of 11 Chinese nationals, one Filipino, and a company named Genting International Co. Limited at a Federal High Court in Lagos. They are facing charges related to cybercrime, impersonation, and attempts to destabilize Nigeria's constitutional structure.

The defendants are:

- Wang Zheng Ming

- Li Yin Hui

- Xian Hong Will

- Zhang Xiao Lei

- Long Zhao Ming

- Guo Xiao Fei

- Yang Sheng

- Wang Zheng Feng

- Chen Wenyuan

- Liu San Hua

- Luo Jia You

- Rheign Dela Vega

These individuals are alleged members of a syndicate involving 792 suspects connected to cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud. They were arrested on December 19, 2024, in Lagos during a surprise operation dubbed the “Eagle Flush Operation” conducted by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The suspects faced separate charges including alleged cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretenses, and identity theft.

One of the charges against Li Yin Hui and Genting International Co. Limited states:

*"That you, Li Yin Hui and Genting International Co. Limited, on or about the 18th of December 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed computer systems organized to seriously destabilize the constitutional structure of Nigeria (which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes) when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves, and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024)."*

Another charge against Luo Jia You (also known as A. You) reads:

*"That you, Luo Jia You (aka A. You), sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully gave false information to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the course of investigation when you were being questioned for being part of a criminal syndicate group specialized in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, cyber-terrorism amongst others; and in order to mislead them, you falsely represented your name as A. You and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 39(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act."*

A charge against Long Shao Ming, also known as Ling Yang, states:

*"That you, Long Shao Ming, aka Ling Yang, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, had in your possession documents containing false pretenses, wherein you held yourself out as 'Linda Maureen,' a citizen of the United States of America, which document you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 6 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006."*

Each defendant pleaded "not guilty" to the charges when they were read in court.

Following their pleas, prosecution counsel L.P. Aso, M.K. Bashir, T.J. Banjo, N.K. Ukoha, and B. Buhari-Bala requested trial dates and asked the court to remand the defendants in appropriate correctional facilities.

One of the defendants, Liu San Hua, is specifically accused of hiring Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain.

The court ordered that the two female defendants be remanded at the Kirikiri Female Correctional Centre, while the others were sent to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case to February 7, 14, and 21, 2025, for trial and remanded the defendants accordingly.