On Tuesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged an additional 16 Chinese citizens at the Federal High Court in Lagos with alleged cybercrime and attempting to destabilise Nigeria’s social and economic structures.
The suspects brought before Justice Daniel Osiagor are accused of cyberterrorism, internet fraud, and attempting to destabilise Nigeria.
Hu Hui (also known as A Bin), Liao Ri Xing (also known as Li Jun), Li Qiang (also known as Yang Huan Huan), A Wen, Da Tou, Cheng Jian, Cong Bing, Fei Fan, Huxi Heng, Zheng Wei (also known as A Hong), Huang Zhi, Zhang Lei, Sun Zhi Peng, Huang Jin Hui, Wù Hao, and Lu Qiang are the defendants.
They are among the 792-member cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects arrested by EFCC operatives on December 10, 2024, in Lagos during a sting operation dubbed the “Eagle Flush Operation”.
The anti-graft agency charged them with various offenses, including cybercrime, cyberterrorism, possession of documents containing false pretense, and identity theft.
Nnaemeka Omewa, the commission’s prosecution counsel, told the court that the alleged offences were committed by Li Qiang (A.K.A Yang Huan Huan) and Genting International Co Ltd in December 2024.
Omewa told the court that the defendants used a computer system to destabilise and destroy Nigeria’s economy and social structure.
According to the prosecutor, Li Qiang (A.K.A Yang HUan HUan) had a document containing false pretense with fraudulent chat format in which he represented himself to online victims as a female model with the intent to defraud sometime in December 2024.
The EFCC also accused Hu Xi Heng and Genting International Co. Ltd of accessing a computer system used to destabilise and destroy Nigeria’s economy and social structure in December 2024.
According to the prosecutor, the offences committed violated Sections 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015, 6, 8 (b), and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No.14 of 2006.
However, all of the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
Following their not-guilty plea, Omewa requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants to the correctional centre.
As a result, Justice Osiagor ordered the defendant’s remand to the correctional center and rescheduled the trial for June 23, 2025.
