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Six Chinese nationals have been sentenced to one year imprisonment each by the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, over charges of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The convicts — JIA You (a.k.a A. You), Wang Zheng Feng (a.k.a Feng), Liu San Hua, Chen Wen Yuan, Liu Beixing, and Wen Zong Xu (a.k.a Li Long) — were among the 792 suspects arrested during a sweeping sting operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation” by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on December 19, 2024, in Lagos.

They were arraigned in February 2025 on separate counts bordering on cyber-terrorism and online fraud by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC.

One of the charges read:
“That you LUO JIA YOU (a.k.a A. YOU), sometime in December 2024 at Lagos, Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems used for the purpose of destabilizing and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria and you hereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as Amended, 2024) and Section 2(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022).”

Initially, the accused persons pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. However, at the resumed hearing on Monday, June 23, 2025, they reversed their plea to “guilty.”

Following the change in plea, prosecution counsel Babatunde Sonoiki, U.S. Kyari, and B.M. Isah prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

Justice D.I. Dipeolu and Justice A.O. Faji subsequently convicted the six defendants and sentenced each of them to one year imprisonment, effective from their arrest date — December 10, 2025. In addition, the court imposed a fine of ₦1,000,000 (One Million Naira) on each convict.

The court also directed that upon the completion of their jail term, the Comptroller General of Immigration should ensure their deportation to their country of origin within seven days.

Furthermore, the mobile phones, computers, laptops, and routers seized from the convicts at the time of arrest were ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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