The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has started the prosecution of some of the people who were detained almost two months after the landmark arrest of 193 foreigners and 599 Nigerians in one fell swoop for crimes involving the romance and cryptocurrency investment fraud.
At the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday, the Commission arraigned 13 Chinese nationals and a company, Genting International Co. Limited, before Justice Deinde Dipeolu.
On Monday, another group of foreigners will be arraigned before other court judges, according to Channels Television.
At the proceedings, the EFCC’s legal team was led by Director of Legal Affairs, Larry Peters Aso, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala and two others, who presented the charges against the defendants, citing violations of Sections 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Wanq Jia Qi (also known as Xiao Tian), Wang Zheng Ming, Liyin Hui, Xiao Hong Will, and Zhang Xiuo Lei are the defendants.
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The others are: Ling Yang (also known as Long Shao Ming), Guo Xiao Fei, Yang Sheng, Wang Zheng Feng (Also known as Feng), Chen Wenyuan, Liu Sau Hua, Luo Jia You (Also known as You) and Rheign Dela Vega (also known as Rheignal).
The 13 Chinese nationals who were detained alongside a business, Genting International Co., are specifically accused of conspiring to wilfully access computer systems in an effort to destabilize Nigeria’s constitutional framework, which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes.
Additionally, it was reported that they had employed or procured youths from Nigeria for identity theft and held themselves out as foreign nationals with the intention to obtain financial advantage, an offence that was against and punishable by Sections 18 and 27 of the 2015 Cybercrimes (Prohibition &, Prevention Act, As Amended)
The defendants each entered a not-guilty plea with the help of an interpreter who spoke Mandarin.
One of them, Wang Zheng Ming rejected the EFCC-appointed lawyer and requested time to hire his legal representation.
Justice Dipeolu has adjourned the case to February 3, 7, 14, and 21 for trial. In the meantime, the judge placed the defendants on hold while their bail applications are being heard.
A total of 792 suspects were arrested in one-time for crimes involving cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scam, according to EFCC’s announcement on December 16, 2024.
The EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren who briefed journalists at the commission’s office in Lagos said, the suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, in a surprise operation at their hideout, an imposing seven-storey edifice known as Big Leaf Building, on No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to him, “the breakthrough came as a result of months of intensive surveillance and monitoring the syndicate’s activities.” Among the foreigners arrested are 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Kharzartans, one Pakistani, one Indonesian”.
The foreigners used the identities of Nigerians to carry out their criminal activities at 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, which could be mistaken for a financial institution’s corporate headquarters, to train their accomplices on how to start romance and investment scams and to use those identities to commit their crimes, according to the investigation.
The fact that this arrest makes it clear that it is incorrect to assume that Nigerians are responsible for the numerous frauds that have occurred in our nation is what is not true.
“Foreigners are attempting to hide their atrocious criminal enterprises by exploiting our country’s unfortunate reputation as a haven of frauds.
Source: Channels TV
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