A Federal High Court in Lagos State has convicted and sentenced seven Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment each for their involvement in cyberterrorism and internet fraud connected to a major Ponzi scheme uncovered in December 2024.
The convicts—Peng Li Huan, Zhang Jin Rong, He Kun, Rachelle Cabalona, Caselyn Pionela, Guo Long Long, and Zhang Hua Zhai—were arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a raid on a property located on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos.
The operation resulted in the apprehension of over 700 suspects in what authorities described as one of the largest cybercrime crackdowns in recent years.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
The defendants were separately arraigned before Justices Ayokunle Faji, Chukwujekwu Aneke, and Yellim Bogoro on amended one-count charges relating to cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
According to the EFCC's Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, the prosecution team, led by Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, Chineye Okezie, and Banjo Temitop, informed the court that the defendants had opted for plea bargain agreements, which were formally submitted on June 20, 2025.
All seven defendants pleaded guilty and confirmed that they entered into the plea bargains voluntarily. Upon acceptance of their pleas, the court sentenced each of them to one year in prison with an additional monetary fine of N1 million.
The court also directed the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service to facilitate the deportation of the convicts to their respective countries within seven days of completing their sentences.
Nature of the Offenses
The amended charge alleged that the defendants, in December 2024, knowingly accessed computer systems with the intent to undermine Nigeria's economic and social stability. They reportedly recruited local youths to engage in identity theft and impersonation of foreign nationals for illicit financial gain.
Their actions contravened Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
This case highlights Nigeria's increasing efforts to combat international cybercrime operations that target its citizens and economy, with authorities demonstrating a commitment to prosecuting foreign nationals involved in such activities.
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