The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned 11 Chinese nationals before the Federal High Court in Lagos, facing charges related to cyber fraud, identity theft, and attempting to destabilize Nigeria’s constitutional structure. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The arraignment follows the EFCC’s earlier court action a day before, when 42 Chinese and Filipino nationals were similarly charged for related offenses. The foreign nationals were arrested during a raid, called “Eagle Flush Operation,” which took place on December 19, 2024, in Lagos.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, after the defendants pleaded not guilty, ordered their remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre in Lagos. Among those arraigned were Wang Xiong Wei (alias Xiao Bai), Chen Dong Dong (alias Cun Zhao), Chen Yuan (alias Xiao Doa), Wu Yuan An (alias Zeng Niu), Wang Gong Lin (alias Wang Jing Lin), and Weng Mao Rong (alias A Xiang), with charges related to cybercrimes, cyberterrorism, fraudulent document possession, and identity theft.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants were part of a syndicate that recruited Nigerian youths for identity theft and other cyber fraud schemes. The prosecution also charged five additional Chinese nationals: Liu Ke Fan (alias Lina, Lui Chen), Huang Hai Tao, Zhang Jian Feng, Wu A Wang, and Xiao Xin.
In one charge, the EFCC accused Liu Ke Fan of impersonating a 28-year-old American woman named Lina, who lives in Germany, as part of a romance scam and cryptocurrency fraud operation. The commission alleged that Liu Ke Fan used a fake profile to deceive others and conceal his involvement in a broader criminal network.
According to the EFCC, the defendants were members of a syndicate comprising 792 individuals engaged in cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams. The accused were allegedly involved in schemes to access computer systems and destabilize Nigeria’s constitutional structure by recruiting Nigerian youths for fraudulent activities.
The case has been adjourned to February 21 and March 7, 2025. The defendants remain in custody pending trial.
