A Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded 11 Chinese nationals and one Filipino and a company, Genting International Co. Limited, on charges of cybercrime, impersonation, and attempts to destabilise Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
The suspects were arraigned before Justice D.I. Dipeolu on Friday.
The defendants are: Wang Zheng Ming, Li Yin Hui, Xian Hong Will, Zhang Xiao Lei, Long Zhao Ming, Guo Xiao Fei, Yang Sheng, Wang Zheng Feng, Chen Wenyuan, Liu San Hua, Luo Jia You and Rheign Dela Vega.
They are members of the syndicate of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects arrested on December 19, 2024 in Lagos during a surprise operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation” by operatives of the EFCC.
The suspects were arraigned on separate charges bordering on alleged cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretence and identity theft, among others.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Li Yin Hui and Genting International Co. Limited, on or about the 18th of December 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed computer systems organised to seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of Nigeria (which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes) 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 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).”
Another count reads: “That you, Luo Jia You (aka A. You) sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully gave false information to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the course of investigation when you were being questioned for being part of a criminal syndicate group, specialized in Romance scam, crypto currency fraud, cyber terrorism amongst others; and in order to mislead them, you falsely represented your name as A. You and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 39(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 39(2) (b) of the same Act.”
Another charge reads: “That you, Long Shao Ming, aka Ling Yang, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos , within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, had in your possession documents containing false pretence, wherein you held yourself out as ‘Linda Maureen’, a citizen of the United States of America, which document you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 and punishable under 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other fraud related Offences Act, 2006.”
They each pleaded “not guilty” to the offences when they were read to them.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, L.P. Aso, M. K.Bashir, T. J. Banjo, N. K. Ukoha and B. Buhari-Bala, prayed the court for trial dates and for the defendants to be remanded in the appropriate Correctional facilities.
Meanwhile, one of the defendants, Liu San Hua, is specifically accused of hiring Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals for financial gains.
The court ordered that the two female defendants among them be remanded at Kirikiri Female Correctional Centre, while the others were sent to Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
Justice Dipeolu adjourned the matter till 7, 14 and 21 February, 2025 for trial and remanded the defendants at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Correctional Centres.
