In a landmark ruling, the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully secured the conviction of five Chinese nationals involved in offenses bordering on cyberterrorism and sophisticated internet fraud schemes. The historic judgment, delivered on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, came from the courtroom of Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State. The convicted Chinese nationals — identified as Guo Qiang, Yang Shumei, Guo Zhi Yong, Zhang Gia Feng, and Lu Yi Liang — were all implicated as part of a more extensive syndicate that was deeply entrenched in an elaborate cryptocurrency investment racket as well as romance-related internet fraud operations. According to details provided by the EFCC, the five convicts were apprehended in connection with a sweeping sting operation carried out on December 19, 2024. The coordinated effort, codenamed the “Eagle Flush Operation,” was designed to dismantle a web of fraudsters targeting vulnerable people online and defrauding them under the guise of cryptocurrency investments or love scams. That same operation resulted in the arrest of as many as 792 suspects in total, reflecting the far-reaching scale of the syndicate’s activities. Each of the defendants was brought before the Federal High Court on separate charges relating to their involvement in cybercrime operations. These activities included gaining unauthorized access to various computer systems, with the underlying intention of compromising and destabilizing Nigeria’s socio-economic and technological infrastructure. Initially, the accused individuals pleaded not guilty at the point of their formal arraignment. However, during subsequent hearings on Tuesday, they opted to change their plea to guilty. Following their new plea, the prosecution counsel, U.S. Kyari, made a motion urging the court to convict the defendants in line with their admissions. In response, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu pronounced a sentence of one year imprisonment for each of the five convicts. The court also imposed a monetary fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira) on each of them as additional punishment. Furthermore, Justice Dipeolu ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service to make the necessary arrangements for the convicts to be repatriated back to China within seven days after completing their prison sentences in Nigeria. This directive is aimed at ensuring their prompt removal from the country upon serving their terms. The successful conviction and sentencing of these individuals underline Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to combating the threat of cybercrime, internet fraud, and financial terrorism, especially where foreign nationals are found to be exploiting the nation’s cyberspace for criminal gain.
