Nigerian Court Convicts 18 Foreign Nationals in Major Cybercrime Crackdown

A Lagos court has sentenced 15 Chinese nationals, two Filipinos, and one Pakistani to prison terms following convictions for cyberterrorism and internet fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the verdicts after a raid on a cybercrime hub in Victoria Island uncovered over 700 suspects.

Defendants including Peng Li Huan and Zhang Jin Rong pleaded guilty through plea bargain agreements. EFCC prosecutors Bilkisu Buhari-Bala and Chineye Okezie presented evidence showing the syndicate operated sophisticated online fraud schemes from a residential building on Oyin Jolayemi Street.

The convictions mark Nigeria's latest victory against transnational cybercrime networks. Justice Ayokunle Faji presided over one of three simultaneous trials, with all defendants receiving immediate custodial sentences.