by
Admin Josh
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A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday convicted and sentenced 14 Chinese nationals to one year in prison for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud. The sentencing followed a plea bargain agreement between the defendants and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Presiding over the case, Justice Daniel Osiagor accepted the plea deal after EFCC counsel Spiff Owede asked the court to adopt the agreement. The charges were re-read in court, after which the defendants—initially pleading not guilty—changed their pleas to guilty.
The convicts, identified as 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, were part of a cybercrime syndicate busted during the EFCC’s major sting operation codenamed Eagle Flush, carried out on December 19, 2024, in Lagos. The syndicate reportedly had 792 suspects at the time of arrest.
They faced various charges, including cyber-terrorism and online fraud. One of the key charges alleged that the group deliberately accessed and manipulated Nigerian computer systems in a bid to destabilize the country’s economy and social infrastructure—a serious offence under Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (amended in 2024).
After accepting their guilty plea, the court sentenced each defendant to one year in prison and imposed a ₦1 million fine per individual. Justice Osiagor also ordered that all items recovered from the syndicate be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Additionally, the judge instructed the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to deport all 14 convicts to China within seven days after serving their prison terms.
The ruling is one of the most high-profile convictions in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against international cybercrime.
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