A Nigerian woman, Jacob Lilian, the first prosecution witness in the trial of Ling Yang, a Chinese national, has narrated before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, how her search for a job at Genting International Co. Limited led her into an alleged web of cyber-terrorism, cryptocurrency fraud, and romance scams orchestrated by her employer.
Yang, alongside Genting International Co. Limited, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts bordering on cybercrime and advance fee fraud.
The defendant was arrested in Lagos, during a surprise operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation.”
One of the charges states: “That you, LING YANG A.K.A. SHAO MING, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for your employer fraudulently impersonated one Amity by holding yourself out as such, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”
Yang pleaded not guilty to all charges, prompting his trial.
Led by prosecution counsel Hanatu U. KofarNaisa, Lilian identified Yang as one of the Chinese nationals working on the seventh floor of the company’s building at No. 7 Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos.
She recounted how her job search began innocently but quickly turned sinister.
“As at November 2024, I was in search of a job and so I joined a WhatsApp group called job update, which was where I got to know about the job that stated customer service and only an address written as No 7 Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos. On getting there I was not asked to present any CV or documentations, and when I got in, I was required to sit in front of a computer. I thought I was about to have an online test, but rather I did a speed limit test that was set to be 30 and I got 28,” she testified.
Lilian explained that she was encouraged to improve her typing speed and was immediately offered a job without any formal documentation.
“No credentials were required or asked for and I was not given any offer letter,” she said.
According to her, the company provided accommodation on the Island, where she moved in, unaware of the true nature of her employment.
She testified that she was later given a script to read and told it was part of her job.
“On the script there was a name, Alani Thomas, and I was asked to read the script further and to get familiar with any customer assigned to me and chat with them,” she said.
Lilian revealed that the targets were primarily Europeans, and she was instructed to introduce herself as Alani Thomas.
“The WhatsApp group is being monitored by the employers, and once names are exchanged, and I start to get to know the customer, by the third day of chatting with the customer, once they are at ease with me, I will be asked to stop chatting with the customer and then the employers will take over the chatting,” she added.
Lilian disclosed that her monthly salary was N250,000 and that Nigerian employees were assigned seat numbers and computers.
However, she soon realized the company’s operations were far from legitimate.
She attempted to resign but found herself trapped. “We were always escorted by security officials from the office to the accommodation and we were never allowed to leave the office premises. Before we start working for the day, we have to submit our phones. The EFCC arrest was a saving grace for me.” she said.
Prosecution counsel applied for an adjournment to tender the computer containing the scripts as evidence.
The judge adjourned the case to April 11, 2025, for continuation of the trial.
