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