The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday dragged 11 Chinese nationals, one Filipino, and a company named Genting International Co. Ltd, before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
New Telegraph reports that the defendants are facing multiple charges related to cryptocurrency investment scams, romance fraud, cyber-terrorism, identity theft, and possession of fraudulent documents.
The accused individuals include 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, and Rheign Dela Vega (a Filipino national).
They were part of a 792-member cyber fraud syndicate arrested on December 19, 2024, in Lagos during an EFCC-led sting operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation.”
One of the charges against the defendants states that Li Yin Hui and Genting International Co. Ltd allegedly accessed computer systems to facilitate identity theft by recruiting Nigerian youths to pose as foreign nationals for fraudulent financial transactions.
The prosecution argued that this act was intended to destabilize Nigeria’s cybersecurity framework, thereby violating Sections 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Another charge alleged that Luo Jia You (aka A. YOU) misled EFCC investigators by providing a false identity during interrogation.
Similarly, Long Shao Ming (aka Ling Yang) was accused of impersonating a U.S. citizen named Linda Maureen to defraud unsuspecting victims.
These offences were said to contravene the EFCC Act, 2004, and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006.
When the charges were read in court, all the defendants pleaded “not guilty.”
The prosecution, represented by L.P. Aso, M.K. Bashir, T.J. Banjo, N.K. Ukoha, and B. Buhari-Bala, urged the court to set trial dates and remand the accused persons to appropriate correctional facilities.