The Federal Government will be deporting no fewer than 14 Chinese nationals who were discovered to be funding cyber terrorists and engaging in internet fraud after their arrival into the country.
The apex government would be embarking on the move after the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, ordered the 14 Chinese nationals, who posed as investors after arriving Nigeria, deported deported after finding them guilty of engaging in actions that contradicted the 1999 constitution of the country.
The court said that the 14 foreigners should be deported to their home country after serving a one-year jail term imposed on them over their engagement in cyber terrorism and internet fraud.
The Chinese were convicted by the court after being unable to prove their case before the Judge during the proceedings.
They were among the syndicate of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects arrested on December 19, 2024 in Lagos during a sting operation tagged ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ conducted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives.
The convicts sentenced on Friday by Justice Daniel Osiagor after many hours of proceeding were: Su Zong Gen, Li Zhong Chang, Chen Gui Ping, Li Xiang Long, San Feng Zhang, Jia Yang, Jia Zhi Hao, Liu Chuang, Yu Hai Ging, Zhao Xiao Liang, Dai Li, Tao Kun, Mao Bu Yi and Zhao Zi Cheng.
They were subsequently arraigned on one-count separate charges of cyber- terrorism and internet fraud in December 2024 by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The charges read: “That you, Su Zong Gen, sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully caused to be accessed computer system for the purpose of destabilizing and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024]”.
After the charges were read in a language they could understand, the foreign cryptocurrency investors initially pleaded not guilty, maintaining that they had not violated any provisions of the country’s Cybercrime Act.
However, at a subsequent court sitting, the defendants reversed their plea and admitted guilt to the charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In view of their plea, prosecution counsel, T.J Banjo and M.S Owede prayed the court to convict them accordingly. Responding, the defence counsel agreed with the submissions of the prosecution.
Consequently, Osiagor convicted and sentenced each of the defendants to one year imprisonment starting from the date of arrest on December 19, 2024, with a fine in the sum of N1 million each and ordered the forfeiture of the items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
