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A federal high court in Ikoyi, Lagos state, has convicted and sentenced nine Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The convicts are LI Dong, Deng Wei Qiang, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, Zhao Xiao Hui, Lui Hai Rong, Lui Gang and Du Ji Feng.
They are among the 792 suspects arrested in December 2024 during a sting operation tagged ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The nine suspects were subsequently arraigned on one–count separate charges bordering on cyber-terrorism and internet fraud in February 2025.
A statement by the EFCC on Tuesday said the defendants initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.
However, during the court proceedings on Thursday, June 5, 2025, they changed their “not guilty” pleas to “guilty”.
In view of their pleas, Nnaemeka Omewa, the prosecution counsel, prayed the court to convict and sentence them.
Consequently, Daniel Osiagor, the presiding judge, convicted and sentenced each of the defendants to one year in prison, starting from the date of arrest, December 10, 2025. The convicts were equally fined N1,000,000 each.
The judge further ordered that upon completion of their prison sentence, the comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service should ensure that they are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days.
The mobile phones, computers, laptops and routers seized from them at the time of arrest were ordered forfeited to the federal government.
