Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones allegedly linked to convicted Chinese cyber-fraud operators to the Federal Government. The judge granted the application after hearing counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Hanatu Kofarnaisa. The order followed an application by the EFCC, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 44 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The suit, marked FHC/LAG/MISC/990/2026, was brought as an action in rem. In the affidavit filed in support of the application, an EFCC investigating officer, Christopher Augustine, alleged that the 431 mobile phones were linked to an elaborate cyber-fraud operation allegedly involving Chinese nationals and Nigerian youths in Lagos. The Commission alleged that some Chinese nationals had conspired with other foreign nationals to establish a facility known as “HK” in the Victoria Island area of Lagos State.
According to the EFCC, the operation reportedly involved no fewer than 500 laptops, 400 cell phones and various local telecommunications cards, allegedly used to conduct romance and dating scams, as well as cryptocurrency and investment fraud. The Commission further alleged that several Nigerian youths were recruited online and brought into the premises, where they allegedly lived with the foreign nationals and were trained in various fraudulent activities.
The EFCC stated that a sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, led to the arrest of more than 700 individuals, comprising about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two persons identified as “Kharzartan” and one Pakistani national. The Commission alleged that the premises in Victoria Island had been used to train foreign and Nigerian nationals to initiate romance and investment scams.
The EFCC further alleged that the suspects targeted victims through phishing and online communications, particularly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and persons from several European countries. According to the affidavit, a company, Genting International Company Limited (GICL), was incorporated in mid-2024 and was controlled by Huang Haoyu (Ken), a Chinese national, and other alleged foreign co-conspirators.
The Commission alleged that GICL had a workforce of about 200 Chinese nationals who operated as recruiters and supervisors of Nigerian youths. The EFCC further alleged that the foreign nationals and Nigerian recruits were assigned WhatsApp accounts linked to foreign telephone numbers, particularly numbers from Germany and Italy, which they allegedly used to engage victims in romantic conversations and purported business and investment discussions.
The forfeiture order is a significant blow to the cyber-fraudsters, who had been using the mobile phones to carry out their illicit activities. The EFCC has been working to crack down on cyber-fraud operations in Nigeria, and this order is a major achievement in that effort. The Commission will now take possession of the forfeited phones.
Key points
- The court ordered the forfeiture of 431 mobile phones linked to convicted Chinese cyber-fraud operators.
- The EFCC alleged that the cyber-fraud operation involved Chinese nationals and Nigerian youths in Lagos.
- The forfeiture order is a significant blow to the cyber-fraudsters, who had been using the mobile phones to carry out their illicit activities.
