Nigerian court jails 17 Chinese men one year each after plea bargain
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A court in Lagos has jailed 17 Chinese men one year each for cyberterrorism and internet fraud in a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Judges D.E. Osiagor and D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos handed down the sentences after a plea bargain agreement.
The convicts are Yu Hui (also known as A. Bin), Huang Jin Hui, Fei Fan, Lu Qiang, Hu Xi Zheng, Sun Zhi Peng, Wu Hao, Cong Bing, Li Qiang (a.k.a Yang Huan Huan), Zheng Wei (also known as A. Hong), Cheng Jian, Da Tou, A Wen, Zhang Lei, Huang Zhi, Pan Jiong, and Chen Wen Yuan.
They were part of 792 cybercriminal suspects arrested in a sting operation codenamed “Eagle Flush Operation” which the EFCC carried out in Lagos on 19 December 2024.
Each defendant was arraigned separately in February 2025 on a one-count charge of accessing computer systems for the purpose of destabilising and damaging Nigeria’s economy and social structure, which violates Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.
Initially, all defendants pleaded not guilty but changed their plea to guilty during proceedings.
Prosecuting counsel Nneemeka Omewa, U.S. Kyari, and B.M. Isah informed the court of the plea bargain arrangements which were accepted by the defence.
The court sentenced each convict to one year imprisonment effective from the date of arrest, 10 December 2024 and with a fine of N1 million each.
The court also ordered:
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to repatriate all 17 convicts to China within seven days of the judgment.
All items recovered during their arrest – including mobile phones, laptop computers, and routers – to be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria.
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