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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought 16 more Chinese nationals before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, expanding its ongoing legal action against individuals allegedly involved in financial crimes.
Legal documents list the accused as Hu Hui (also referred to as A Bin), Liao Ri Xing (also referred to as Li Jun), Li Qiang (also referred to as Yang Huan Huan), A Wen, Da Tou, Cheng Jian, Cong Bing, Fei Fan, Huxi Heng, Zheng Wei (also referred to as A Hong), Huang Zhi, Zhang Lei, Sun Zhi Peng, Huang Jin Hui, Wù Hao, and Lu Qiang.
The suspects are linked to a massive cryptocurrency and romance fraud scheme that led to the arrest of 792 individuals in Lagos on December 10, 2024, as part of the EFCC’s sting operation dubbed “Eagle Flush Operation.
”Each suspect was charged separately with offenses such as cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, identity theft, and the unlawful possession of documents linked to fraudulent schemes.
They are among the 792-member cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects arrested on December 10, 2024, in Lagos, in a sting operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation” by EFCC operatives.
The suspects were arraigned on separate charges, bordering on cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretence, and identity theft.
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Prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, told the court that, “Li Qiang (A.K.A Yang Huan Huan) and Genting International Co. Ltd Sometime in December 2024 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court cause to be accessed computer system used for the purpose of destabilising and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015.
“The anti-graft agency also accused Li Qiang (A.K.A Yang Hủan Hủan) that sometime in December 2024 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud had in your possession document containing false pretence to wit: fraudulent chats format; wherein you represented yourself to online victims to be a female model and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 6, 8 (b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No.14 of 2006.”
The EFCC accused Hu Xi Heng and Genting International Co. Ltd of having, sometime in December 2024, at Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, caused a computer system to be accessed for the purpose of destabilizing and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria, thereby committing an offence that was contrary to and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015.
