The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned nine Chinese nationals and the company Genting International Co. Ltd. on charges of cyber terrorism and internet fraud. The defendants appeared before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where they pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
The accused, identified as Su Dong Fu, Zheng Xian Tao, Wang Shi Long, Pan Cai Qi, Ting Liao, Fan Jia, Feng Li Cani, Lu Yong Yao, and Yang Chen Cheng, are part of a larger syndicate of 792 alleged fraudsters arrested during the EFCC’s “Eagle Flush Operation” on December 10, 2024, in Lagos.
The charges against the defendants include cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretenses, and identity theft. Following their pleas, prosecution counsel M.K. Bashir requested trial dates and sought the defendants’ remand in a correctional facility.
Justice Aneke has scheduled the next hearing for February 21 and March 7, 2025, while ordering the defendants to be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre. This arraignment comes shortly after the agency charged 11 other Chinese nationals for similar offenses in the same court.
