The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, has secured fresh convictions against nine Chinese nationals involved in cyber-terrorism and internet-related crimes. The ruling was delivered on Friday, July 18, 2025, by Justices Chukwuemeka Aneke and Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to the EFCC, the convicted individuals include: 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, also known as Bu Fan.
They were arraigned separately on charges relating to cyber-terrorism and online fraud. One of the charges brought against Yang Chen Cheng stated: “That you, Yang Chen Cheng, on or about December 11, 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly accessed computer systems organised to undermine and destabilise the economic and social framework of Nigeria by recruiting Nigerian youths for identity theft, impersonating foreign nationals for financial gain. You thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).”
All nine defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
In response to their pleas, the EFCC prosecuting team—comprising M.K. Bashir, Babatunde Sonoiki, and B.M. Isha—asked the court to convict them and order the confiscation of items seized during the investigation.
The court found the defendants guilty and convicted them accordingly.
“All the convicts were sentenced to one year imprisonment each and ordered to pay a fine of ₦1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira),” the EFCC confirmed.
Additionally, the court directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Comptroller-General to ensure the convicts are deported to China within seven days of completing their prison terms. Furthermore, all recovered items were forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
This latest conviction comes after a previous case involving 15 other Chinese nationals. As earlier reported by Chronicles Reporters, the EFCC had earlier secured convictions against another batch of Chinese citizens for similar offences.
In the earlier case, the EFCC prosecuted the suspects before Justices Ayokunle Faji and Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to the commission, the convicted individuals in that case were: Ling Yang, Xiao Hong Will, Wang Zheng Ming, Wang Jia Qi, Yang Sheng, Peng Sen Lin, Guo Xiao Fei, Chen An Shun, Peng Sen Lin (listed twice), Zhao Ying Bin, Yu Zi (aka Wei Xue Huan), Zhang Yang, Wang Zhi Cheng, Yang Sheng (also listed twice), and Lu Yubo.
These suspects were also charged individually for offences related to cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
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