In a landmark judgment underscoring Nigeria’s resolve to combat cybercrime, Justice D. E. Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced nine Chinese nationals, who were apprehended by the EFCC, to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The convicts, LI Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang, and Du Ji Feng, were part of a wider cyber syndicate of 792 suspects apprehended during the “Eagle Flush Operation,” a sting executed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on December 19, 2024, in Lagos.
Following months of legal proceedings, the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC arraigned the nine individuals on one-count separate charges in February 2025. They were accused of conspiring to access computer systems with intent to destabilize and damage Nigeria’s economy and social framework, an offence punishable under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015.
Initially pleading not guilty, the defendants reversed their plea to “guilty” during court proceedings on Thursday, June 5, 2025. The presiding judge sentenced them to one year in prison starting from the date of their arrest, December 10, 2024, and imposed a #1 million fine on each.
Justice Osiagor further ordered that the convicts be repatriated to China within seven days of completing their prison terms. Additionally, all seized digital equipment, including mobile phones, laptops, computers, and routers, were forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC also arraigned one Samson Davies and his company, Signature Advisory Limited, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, for allegedly stealing #190,791,494 from Ronchess Global Resources Plc between October 2022 and October 2023.
Davies pleaded not guilty, and while the prosecution sought his remand, his counsel, Ifeoma Esom, applied for bail. Justice Dada granted bail in the sum of #50 million with stringent conditions, including the surrender of his passport and proof of tax clearance by sureties. The case was adjourned to July 7, 2025, for trial.
These developments reflect Nigeria’s intensified campaign against financial crimes, especially in the digital space, and reinforce the EFCC’s commitment to safeguarding national security and investor confidence.
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By Fikunmi Sokoya
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