The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of 41 foreign nationals, including 29 Chinese citizens, 10 Filipinos, and others, over allegations of internet fraud. The suspects were arraigned on Monday before four judges—Ayokunle Faji, Alexander Owoeye, Deinde Dipeolu, and Chukwujekwu Aneke—on separate charges related to cybercrimes, cyberterrorism, impersonation, identity theft, and possessing documents containing false pretenses.
Among the accused are Chinese nationals such as Zhang Hua Zhai, Chen Xin, and Li Zhen Peng, as well as Filipino nationals like Cherry De Leon and Rex Jose Dilag, along with individuals from other countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan. The defendants reportedly engaged in illegal activities such as cryptocurrency scams and romance fraud schemes.
After the charges were read, all the defendants pleaded not guilty. The prosecution, represented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requested trial dates and the remand of the suspects to the appropriate correctional facilities. The court ordered the remand of the accused at Ikoyi and Kirikiri Correctional Centres.
The trial dates were scheduled across different sessions in February and March 2025. The suspects were arrested in December 2024, during a large-scale operation that targeted cryptocurrency and romance scam networks. The arrests, which occurred in a seven-storey building in Victoria Island, Lagos, were part of the EFCC’s largest single-day operation against such fraudulent activities.
This legal development marks a continued effort by Nigerian authorities to crack down on cybercrime operations within the country.
