Lagos, Nigeria — A Federal High Court in Ikoyi has sentenced two Chinese nationals to 46 years’ imprisonment each for cyberterrorism and internet fraud involving over N3.4 billion and $2.5 million in illicit proceeds.
Okay News reports that Justice Daniel Osiagor convicted Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu on February 11, 2026, after they pleaded guilty to charges bordering on cyberterrorism, internet fraud and money laundering. The convictions followed a major investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to the EFCC, the defendants were arrested alongside Friday Audu, who allegedly incorporated Genting International Co. Ltd at Huang’s directive to facilitate the fraud scheme. While Huang and Hongxu changed their pleas to guilty, Audu maintained a not guilty plea.
Prosecution counsel Bilikisu Bala-Buhari informed the court that two witnesses had already testified before the plea change. She urged the court to impose life imprisonment on counts one to three and 14 years on counts four to seven, alongside forfeiture of all recovered items.
The charges stem from a large scale cybercrime crackdown known as Eagle Flush Operation carried out in December 2024 across Victoria Island and Ikoyi. The EFCC arrested 792 suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipinos, linked to cryptocurrency investment and romance scams targeting victims in North America and Europe.
Investigations revealed that Nigerian youths were recruited and trained to pose as foreign nationals on WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram to deceive victims into fake cryptocurrency investments requiring upfront payments.
The EFCC said the fraud involved N3,407,824,740.78 and $2,562,203. Items recovered include 1,596 mobile phones, 43 computer systems, 194 routers, vehicles, generators, thousands of SIM cards and office equipment seized from multiple properties in Lagos.
The convictions underscore intensified enforcement against cybercrime networks operating within Nigeria as authorities move to curb internet fraud and protect the country’s economic stability.
