Nine Chinese nationals have been sentenced to one-year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud following their arrest in a major sting operation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice D. E. Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced the Chinese men to prison.

During a court session, the individuals arrested in December 2024 pleaded guilty to the allegations against them on Thursday, June 5.

According to a statement by the EFCC, the convicts, identified as LI Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang, and Du Ji Feng, were part of a syndicate of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects.

The statement posted on X stated that the EFCC charged the nine individuals in February 2025 with one count of separate cyber-terrorism and internet fraud charges.

“That you, LI Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang and Du Ji Feng, sometime in December, 2024 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: cause to be accessed computer system used for the purpose of destabilising and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015,” the charge stated.

After pleading guilty, prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, a request supported by the defence counsel.

Each of them was subsequently sentenced each defendant to one year in prison, effective from their arrest date of December 10, 2025, and imposed a fine of N1,000,000 on each.

The court also ordered that the convicts be repatriated to their country of origin within seven days of completing their sentences.

The convicts also forfeited mobile phones, computers, laptops, and routers seized during the EFCC’s sting operation to the Federal Government.

Vanguard News