A Lagos court has convicted 14 Chinese nationals for cyber-terrorism and Internet fraud, ordering their deportation and forfeiture of seized items

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]hinese cyber-terrorism Lagos convictions were handed down on Friday by a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, as Justice Daniel Osiagor sentenced 14 Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment for cyber-terrorism and Internet fraud.

Also read: Chinese man sentenced to death for murder of Nigerian girlfriend in Kano state

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed that the convicted individuals were part of a notorious syndicate arrested during a sting operation conducted on 19 December 2024 in Lagos.

The agency said the group was involved in cryptocurrency scams and romance fraud, with hundreds of Nigerian victims targeted.

Initially, the 14 suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. However, they later reversed their plea and admitted guilt to various offences linked to cyber-attacks on Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and financial systems.

One of the charges read in court stated: “That you, Su Zong Gen, sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, wilfully caused to be accessed computer system for the purpose of destabilising and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria…”

Prosecuting counsel, T.J. Banjo and M.S. Owede, urged the court to convict the defendants in light of their new plea. The defence team offered no opposition to the application, paving the way for immediate sentencing.

Justice Osiagor sentenced each of the convicts to one year in prison, with an option to pay a fine of ₦1 million.

The court further ordered that upon completing their sentence or payment of the fine, the convicts be deported to China by the Nigeria Immigration Service within seven days.

“All items recovered from the convicts during their arrest are to be forfeited to the Federal Government,” the court ruled.

Those convicted include: 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.

Also read: EFCC arrests 31 suspects, including four Chinese, for illegal mining in Jos

The EFCC stated that the group were among 792 individuals arrested during coordinated operations targeting large-scale cybercrime in Nigeria, particularly schemes involving fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and romance scams.