By Lukman Olabiyi
Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has sentenced nine Chinese nationals, including two women, to one year imprisonment each for their involvement in economic sabotage and financial terrorism.
In addition to the prison term, each convict is to pay a fine of N1milion.
The convicts: Zhao Xiang Hui, Liu Hai Rong, Liu Gang, Du Ji Geng, Li Dong, Huang Bo, Xhiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, and Deng Wei Qiang were convicted yesterday after entering into a plea bargain with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The case stemmed from a December 10, 2024, when the EFCC raided a building ,on the sixth floor of a property in the Oyin Jolayemi , Lagos, where more than 700 individuals were arrested for offences related to cyberterrorism and economic sabotage.
During the court proceedings, EFCC counsel Nnemeka Omewa informed the court that the defendants had opted for a plea bargain agreement, which the commission deemed satisfactory. Defence counsel Folarin Damela confirmed this and urged the court to adopt the agreement.
Following the guilty pleas of all nine defendants and confirmation that they voluntarily entered into the plea bargain, Justice Osiagor accepted the terms.
He sentenced each defendant to one year in prison starting from December 10, 2024, and imposed a one million naira fine on each of them.
Additionally, the judge ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service to deport the convicts upon completion of their prison terms.
All items recovered from the defendants, including furniture, computers, and laptops, were also ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.
The amended one-count charge against the convicts stated that in December 2024, they accessed computer systems in a deliberate attempt to destabilize and destroy Nigeria’s economic and social structures.
The defendants were found to have employed Nigerian youths to commit identity theft and impersonate foreign nationals to gain financial advantages.
The offence contravenes Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.