The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, on Friday, secured the conviction and sentence of 9 Chinese for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
They were convicted before two Federal High Court Judges sitting in 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).
This was contained in a statement by the anti-graft agency on Friday.
The EFCC disclosed that the suspects were arraigned on separate charges bordering on cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The count charge read, “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 punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024).
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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 of 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.
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.
