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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, sentenced two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, to 46 years’ imprisonment each after finding them guilty of cyberterrorism and internet fraud involving over ₦3.4 billion and $2.5 million.
The duo was arrested alongside Friday Audu during a massive raid by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on December 19, 2024, in an operation codenamed Eagle Flush, which led to the arrest of 792 suspected fraudsters linked to cryptocurrency, investment and romance scams across Lagos.
EFCC investigations revealed that Audu allegedly registered Genting International Co. Ltd. at the instruction of Huang Haoyu to serve as a front for the illegal operations.
According to prosecutors, the syndicate recruited and trained Nigerian youths to pose as foreign nationals online in order to deceive and defraud victims through various digital platforms.
Huang, Hongxu and Audu were arraigned alongside Genting International Co. Ltd. by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on a seven-count charge bordering on cyberterrorism, internet fraud and money laundering, involving ₦3,407,824,740.78 and $2,562,203.
One of the charges stated: “That you, Huang Haoyu, a.k.a Ken, Audu Friday, An Hongxu, Duliang Pan (at large) and Genting International Co. Ltd., sometime in 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to willfully cause to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise the economic and social structure of Nigeria… when you, with intent to gain financial advantage, procured and or employed Nigerian youths to falsely represent themselves as persons of foreign nationalities…”
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 27 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Although the defendants initially pleaded not guilty, counsel to Huang and Hongxu, Bridget Omateno, informed the court at the resumed hearing that her clients wished to change their pleas.
After the charges were read again, both men pleaded guilty, while Audu maintained his not-guilty plea.
Following their admission, prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala-Buhari, told the court that two witnesses had already testified before the plea change and urged Justice Osiagor to impose the maximum punishment, including life imprisonment on some counts and 14 years on others.
She also requested the forfeiture of all items recovered from four major operational bases in Victoria Island and Ikoyi to the Federal Government.
The seized items included 1,596 mobile phones, 43 computer systems, 194 routers, a network server, over 2,000 office chairs and tables, 126 air conditioners, generators, vehicles, thousands of SIM cards, bunk beds, mattresses and numerous electronic devices.
Justice Osiagor thereafter sentenced Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu to a cumulative 46 years in prison each and ordered the forfeiture of the recovered assets to the Federal Government, while proceedings continue against Audu.