Court Jails 9 Chinese for Cyberterrorism, Internet Fraud in Lagos

Court Jails 9 Chinese for Cyberterrorism, Internet Fraud in Lagos

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday July 18, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of 9 Chinese for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud before two Federal High Court Judges sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos; Justice Chukwuemeka Aneke and Justice Dehinde Dipeolu.

The suspects are: 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 (a.k.a. Bu Fan).

The suspects were arraigned on separate charges bordering on cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Yang Chen Cheng, on or about the 11th of December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishuble under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024)

They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.

In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, M.K Bashir, Babatunde Sonoiki, and B. M. Isha respectively, prayed the court to convict the defendants and order the forfeiture all the items recovered from them.

The Judges found them guilty of the charges and convicted them accordingly.

All the convicts were sentenced to one year imprisonment, with a fine of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira).

The Judge also ordered that upon completion of their sentences, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, should ensure that they are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days.

All items recovered from them were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.