EFCC docks 11 Chinese nationals for alleged cybercrime, fraud, security threats, court demands them
By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday remanded 11 Chinese nationals at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending their trial over alleged impersonation, fraud, and attempts to destabilise Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
The defendants who are; Wang Xiong Wei (A.K.A. Xiao Bai), Chen Dong Dong (A.K.A. Cun Zhao), Chen Yuan (A.K.A. Xiao Doa), Wu Yuan An ( A.K.A. Zeng Niu), Wang Gong Lin ( A.K.A. Wang Jing Lin) and Weng Mao Rong (A.K.A. A Xiang) were arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Justice Aneke, issued the remand order on Tuesday after the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Anti-graft Agency.
They were arraigned on separate charges bordering on alleged cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretence and identity theft, amongst others.
The defendants were accused of secretly procured and employed several Nigerian youths for identity theft and other computer related fraud.
Five other Chinese nationals charged together before the court included Liu Ke Fan (A.K.A. Lina, Lui Chen), Huang Hai Tao, Zhang Jian Feng, Wu A Wang and Xiao Xin.
In the charge for the five defendants, the first defendant Liu Ke Fan was arraigned on three counts, while the second to fifth defendants were arraigned only on one count.
In the second count against Liu Ke Fan, EFCC, told the court that the defendant sometime in December 2024, with intent to gain advantage for himself and members of his criminal syndicate group that specialised in romance scam, crypto currency fraud, cyber terrorism amongst others, domiciled at No 7, Oyinjolayemi Street in Victoria Island, fraudulently impersonated a 28 year old Lina, from United States of America living in Germany by holding himself out as such to unsuspecting victims via a fraudulent profile on his company’s assigned Maya desktop computer.
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He was also accused of willfully giving false information to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the course of investigation when they were being questioned for being part of a criminal syndicate group, specialized in Romance scam, crypto currency fraud, cyber terrorism amongst others, and in order to mislead them falsely presented himself as Liu Chen.
They are members of the syndicate of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud.
The defendants were arrested on December 19, 2024 in Lagos during a surprise operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation” by operatives of the EFCC.
EFCC told the court that on or about December 18, 2024 in Lagos, the defendants, willfully caused to be accessed computer systems organised to seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of Nigeria (which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes) when they procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves (Nigerians) out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for themselves (The defendants)
The Commission also told the court that sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, the defendants willfully gave false information to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the course of investigation when they were being questioned for being part of a criminal syndicate group, specialized in Romance scam, crypto currency fraud, cyber terrorism amongst others.
According to EFCC, the offence committed is contrary to Section 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended,2024), 39(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 39(2) (b) of the same Act.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them after interpreters interpreted the charge to each of them. They claimed not to speak and understand any other language except Chinese language.
The defendants were arraigned by EFCC team of prosecutors M. K. Bashir and R. A. Abdulrasheed.
After taking their pleas, Justice Aneke, ordered that they be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending their trial.
The case was adjourned till February 21 and March 7, 2025 respectively for trial.
