A federal high court sitting in Lagos has handed down heavy prison sentences to two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, after finding them guilty of multiple charges linked to cybercrime, internet fraud, and money laundering.
Gatekeepers News reports that the trial judge, Daniel Osiagor, delivered the judgment on Wednesday, convicting the duo following their decision to withdraw their earlier not-guilty pleas and admit to the offences. Both men, who are directors of Genting International Co. Limited, were each sentenced to 46 years in prison, with an option of paying a N56 million fine.
The case is connected to a major crackdown carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in December 2024, which led to the arrest of 792 suspects in what was described as the agency’s largest single-day operation against cybercrime networks in Nigeria.
The operation targeted organized groups involved in cryptocurrency scams, romance fraud, and other forms of online financial crimes. The suspects were arrested inside a seven-storey building located in Victoria Island, Lagos, which investigators said served as a central hub for the illegal activities.
According to court records, the syndicate was made up of both foreigners and Nigerians. It included 114 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two Kazakhs, one Pakistani, one Indonesian, and several Nigerians who were allegedly recruited and trained to carry out romance and investment scams targeting victims across different countries. The building was reportedly used to train Nigerians on how to approach victims, gain their trust, and persuade them to invest in fake online schemes.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the Chinese nationals, Bridget Omateno, informed the court that her clients had voluntarily decided to change their pleas from not guilty to guilty, even though there was no plea bargain arrangement with the prosecution.
She requested that the charges be read to them again, after which they admitted to all counts. However, another defendant, Audu Friday, maintained his not-guilty plea and is expected to continue facing trial.
The prosecuting lawyer, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, urged the court to convict the defendants based on their confession and asked for the forfeiture of all items, assets, and investments traced to them during the investigation.
She also requested the maximum punishment to discourage others from engaging in similar crimes, saying, “I humbly pray to your lordship to impose the maximum sentence on the convicts in order to serve as a deterrent to the public.”
In his ruling, Justice Osiagor ordered that the convicts carry out three days of community service and be repatriated to their home country after serving their sentences and completing the community service. He further directed that all assets recovered from different locations in Victoria Island and Ikoyi be forfeited to the federal government.
EFCC has said the case highlights Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime, especially organized fraud networks that use local and foreign collaborators to defraud victims across borders. The trial of Audu Friday is expected to continue on a later date.
