Six Chinese Nationals Jailed for Cyber-Terrorism and Internet Fraud in Lagos
Six Chinese nationals have been sentenced to one year imprisonment each for their involvement in cyber-terrorism and internet fraud by the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The convicts — Jia You (alias A. You), Wang Zheng Feng (alias Feng), Liu San Hua, Chen Wen Yuan, Liu Beixing, and Wen Zong Xu (alias Li Long) — were found guilty on Monday, June 23, 2025, after initially pleading not guilty to charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The six were part of a syndicate of 792 suspects arrested on December 19, 2024, during a sting operation code-named "Eagle Flush Operation," which targeted cryptocurrency investment scams and romance fraud networks across Lagos.
The EFCC charged them with separate counts of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud. One of the charges reads:
"That you, Luo Jia You (alias A. You), sometime in December 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully caused computer systems to be accessed for the purpose of destabilizing and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as Amended, 2024) and Section 2(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022."
Initially, the defendants pleaded not guilty. However, during court proceedings on Monday, they changed their plea to guilty.
Following their admission of guilt, EFCC prosecutors Babatunde Sonoiki, U. S. Kyari, and B. M. Isah urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice D. I. Dipeolu and Justice A. O. Faji subsequently sentenced each of the convicts to one year imprisonment, effective from the date of their arrest on December 19, 2024. They were also fined N1 million each.
Additionally, the court ordered that the Comptroller General of Immigration arrange for their deportation to China within seven days of completing their prison terms. All items seized from them, including mobile phones, laptops, computers, and routers, were forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The EFCC maintains that the operation reflects its commitment to tackling cybercrime, internet fraud, and related offences across the country.
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