Six Chinese Nationals Sentenced to One Year Imprisonment for Cybercrime in Lagos

The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced six Chinese nationals to one year in prison for cybercrime-related offences, including cyberterrorism and internet fraud.

The convicted individuals Jia You, Wang Zheng Feng, Liu San Hua, Chen Wen Yuan, Liu Beixing, and Wen Zong Xu were found guilty by Justices D. I. Dipeolu and A. O. Faji. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that the convicts were part of a larger cybercrime syndicate of 792 suspects arrested during the December 2024 “Eagle Flush Operation” in Lagos, which targeted cryptocurrency scams and romance fraud rings.

Initially arraigned in February 2025, the six men pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, during the court sitting on June 23, 2025, they changed their plea to guilty.

According to court documents, one of the convicts, Luo Jia You (a.k.a A. You), was specifically charged with intentionally accessing computer systems to destabilize Nigeria’s economy and social structure—an act contrary to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024) and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Based on the prosecution’s request, the court sentenced the convicts to one year in prison, effective from the date of their arrest on December 10, 2024. Each of them was also fined ₦1 million.

In addition, the court ordered the deportation of the six convicts within seven days of completing their sentence and ruled that all electronic devices seized during the operation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.