EFCC Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cyberterrorism and Internet Fraud in Lagos

 
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of nine Chinese nationals for cyberterrorism and internet fraud. The judgment was delivered on Friday, July 18, 2025, by Justices Chukwuemeka Aneke and Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

he convicted individuals are:

Deng Wen Quang, Lin Jin, Shi Yang Xiong, Lu Yong Yao, Yang Chen Cheng, Feng Li Cai, Li Niue, Li Kuang Kuang, Dan Jia (alias Bu Fan)

According to the EFCC, the defendants were arraigned on separate charges relating to cyberterrorism and internet fraud. The charges revealed that the suspects orchestrated a scheme to destabilize Nigeria's socio-economic structure by exploiting local youths to commit identity theft and impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain.

One of the charges against Yang Chen Cheng read in part:

“That you, Yang Chen Cheng, on or about December 11, 2024, in Lagos, willfully accessed computer systems organized to destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria by procuring Nigerian youths to commit identity theft and impersonation, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As amended in 2024).”

All nine defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.

Following their plea, the prosecuting counsel—M.K. Bashir, Babatunde Sonoiki, and B.M. Isha—urged the court to convict the defendants and grant the forfeiture of items recovered from them during investigations.

The courts found all the defendants guilty and sentenced each of them to one year imprisonment, with an option of a ₦1,000,000 fine.

In addition, the court ordered that the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service should ensure their deportation within seven days of completing their sentences.

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

The EFCC emphasized that this conviction underscores its commitment to tackling cross-border cybercrime and safeguarding Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystem.