A total of 42 foreign nationals, including 29 Chinese, 10 Filipinos, one Malaysian, one Indonesian, and one Pakistani, have been remanded in Ikoyi and Kirikiri Correctional Centres in Lagos. They appeared before different Federal High Courts in Ikoyi on Monday, facing multiple cybercrime-related charges.
The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the suspects, along with a company, Genting International Company Limited, before Justices Ayokunle Faji, D.I. Dipeolu, Alexander Owoeye, and C.J. Aneke. The suspects allegedly operated a large-scale cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud syndicate.
EFCC’s “Eagle Flush Operation” Exposes Massive Fraud
The EFCC linked the suspects to the December 19, 2024, “Eagle Flush Operation,” which led to the arrest of 792 individuals suspected of cybercrimes in Lagos. According to the EFCC, the defendants engaged in cyber-terrorism, impersonation, identity theft, and possession of fraudulent documents.
One of the charges against Zhang Hua Zhai and Genting International Co. Limited alleges that they “willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize the constitutional structure of Nigeria” by hiring Nigerian youths to commit identity theft. Another count accuses Viera Dela Cruz, also known as Nina Viera Gonzal, of using cyber networks to “gain financial advantage through false identities.”
Nigerian Courts Set Trial Dates Amid Rising Cybercrime Cases
Each suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following their pleas, prosecution lawyers requested trial dates and asked the court to remand them in the correctional facilities.
Justice Faji scheduled hearings for February 10, 11, 17, 18, and 19, 2025. Justice Dipeolu set dates for February 7, 15, 21, 24, and 28, 2025. Justice Owoeye adjourned the case to February 20, 21, 24, 28, and March 18, 2025, while Justice Aneke set March 7, 2025, for trial.
This case challenges the narrative that cybercrime is exclusive to Nigerians. Ironically, these foreigners chose Nigeria as their base, proving how deeply fraud has infiltrated the system.
