The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, has secured the conviction and sentencing of nine Chinese nationals for offences related to cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The convictions were delivered by Justice Chukwuemeka Aneke and Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The convicted individuals include: Deng Wen Quang, Lin Jin, Shi Yang Xiong, Lu Yong Yao,Yang Chen Cheng, Feng Li Cai,

Li Niue, Li Kuang Kuang, and  Dan Jia (alias Bu Fan),

The EFCC stated that the convicts were charged with crimes such as identity theft, cyberterrorism, and the exploitation of Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain.

One of the charges read:

 “That you, Yang Chen Cheng, on or about the 11th of December 2024, in Lagos... willfully caused to be accessed computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria... and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes Act.”

All the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecution, led by M.K. Bashir, Babatunde Sonoiki, and B.M. Isha, urged the court to convict the defendants and order the forfeiture of all recovered items.

The court subsequently sentenced each defendant to one year in prison with an option of a ₦1,000,000 fine, and directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to deport them within seven days of completing their sentences. All confiscated items were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.

This comes on the heels of an earlier conviction, also secured by the EFCC, of 15 other Chinese nationals on similar charges. Those convictions were handed down by Justice Ayokunle Faji and Justice Dehinde Dipeolu, reinforcing Nigeria’s crackdown on international cybercrime networks.