Five Chinese nationals have been convicted by the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for their roles in a sophisticated cybercrime network involving cryptocurrency fraud and romance scams.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu delivered the ruling on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, sentencing each of the convicts to one year in prison, along with a fine of ₦1 million. Upon completion of their jail terms, the court ordered their immediate deportation to China under the supervision of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
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The convicted individuals — Guo Qiang, Yang Shumei, Guo Zhi Yong, Zhang Jia Feng, and Lu Yi Liang — were part of a larger criminal enterprise dismantled during the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) high-profile “Eagle Flush Operation,” conducted on December 19, 2024, in Lagos. A total of 792 suspects were arrested in the operation.
Initially, the five Chinese nationals pleaded not guilty to charges involving unauthorized access to computer systems and cyber-terrorism, including attempts to destabilize Nigeria’s economic and social structures. However, they later changed their pleas to guilty during Tuesday’s proceedings.
Following the plea reversal, EFCC prosecuting counsel, U.S. Kyari, urged the court to convict the defendants. Justice Dipeolu subsequently handed down the sentences and deportation orders.
The EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 described the convictions as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against transnational cybercrime and online fraud. The commission reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s digital space from foreign and local cybercriminal networks.
The People’s Insight will continue to monitor and report on the broader implications of the “Eagle Flush Operation,” which has so far exposed one of the largest cybercrime crackdowns in Nigeria’s history.
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