Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, convicted and sentenced nine Chinese nationals, including two women, to one year imprisonment each for economic sabotage and financial terrorism.
Justice Osiagor also imposed a fine of N1 million on the convicted foreigners, Zhao Xiang Hui, Liu Hai Rong, Liu Gang, Du Ji Geng, Li Dong, Huang Bo, Xiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, and Deng Wei Qiang.
The convicts were part of a fraud syndicate arrested on December 10, 2024, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a raid on a six-storey building in the Oyin Jolayemi area of Lagos.
The EFCC had apprehended over 700 individuals at the premises for offences related to cyber terrorism and economic sabotage.
The anti-graft agency had accused the convicts of willfully accessing computer systems organised to seriously destabilise and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria.
The EFCC further stated that the convicts procured and employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and misrepresented themselves as individuals of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantages for themselves.
The Commission maintained that the offences are contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During Thursday’s proceedings, the EFCC counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, informed the court that the defendants had opted for a plea bargain arrangement, which the Commission found acceptable.
The defence counsel, Folarin Damela, also corroborated Omewa’s position and urged the court to approve the plea bargain.
Based on the development, the charges were reread, and all defendants pleaded guilty.
They also admitted to the judge that they willingly agreed to and signed the plea bargain agreement.
Following their guilty pleas, the prosecutor asked the court to convict and sentence the defendants according to the plea bargain agreement.
Following no objections to the request, Justice Osiagor convicted and sentenced the convicts under the terms of the plea bargain.
The judge held that, “The defendants are sentenced to one year in prison each, starting from December 10, 2024, along with a payment of one million naira.”
He further directed that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to repatriate the convicts to their countries of origin upon the completion of their prison terms.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of all items found in the possession of the convicts at the time of their arrests, including furniture, computer gadgets, and laptops, to the federal government of Nigeria.
