The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned 11 Chinese nationals and a company, Genting International Co. Ltd, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The defendants, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, are part of a 792-member syndicate arrested in Lagos on December 10, 2024, during a surprise operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation.”
The EFCC alleged that the defendants were involved in various cybercrimes, including cyber-terrorism, advance fee fraud, identity theft, and possession of documents containing false pretence.
The charge against Bei Bei Linde Jun, one of the defendants, reads: “That you, BEI BEI LINDE JUN, (Female), adult and GENTING INTERNATIONAL CO. LIMITED sometime between the 28th of November, 2024 and 10th of December, 2024. at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems which were organized to destabilize the social and economic structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when you secretly procured and employed several Nigerian youths for identity theft and other computer related fraud, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.,) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2015 (As amended).”
Another defendant, Li Niu, was accused of possessing documents with false representations, claiming to be a female from Singapore named “LISA”.
The prosecution counsel, Ahmed Yerima, F.S. Mohammed, A.M. Dambuwq, and N.C. Mutfwang, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in a Correctional Centre.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke adjourned the matter till March 14 and 21, 2025, for trial and ordered the defendants to be remanded in the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Correctional Centres.
The EFCC’s operation, “Eagle Flush Operation,” was carried out in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to tackle the rising cases of cybercrime and internet fraud in the country.