Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded 13 Chinese nationals in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services, following their arraignment on charges of cybercrime, impersonation, and fraud. The defendants, alongside their company Genting International Co. Limited, were accused of 13 different crimes by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The 13 defendants, including 11 men and 2 women, are alleged to have illegally accessed computer systems with the intent to destabilize Nigeria’s constitutional structure. The accused include Wang Zheng Ming, Li Yin Hui, Xiao Hong Will, Wang Jia Qi (also known as Xiao Tian), Long Shao Ming (also known as You), Zhang Xiao Lei, Liu San Hua, Chen Wenyuan (also known as Lee05mx20), Yang Sheng (known as Madison), and Rheeigh De La Vega (also known as Rheignalyn).
The EFCC’s legal team, led by Director of Legal Affairs Aso Peters, stated that the offences occurred in December 2024 and violated Sections 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
During the arraignment, all the defendants pleaded not guilty, except for Wang Zheng Ming, who rejected the EFCC-appointed lawyer and requested more time to secure his own legal representation. Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case to February 3, 14, and 21 for trial, ordering that the defendants remain in custody at the Nigerian Correctional Centre.
One defendant, Liu San Hua, is specifically accused of facilitating identity theft by hiring Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain. This act is said to violate Section 18 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015. The charges also include using fake identities online to defraud victims, training Genting International employees in fraudulent practices, and other offences under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act, 2006.
According to the EFCC, the charges highlight serious attempts to undermine Nigeria’s security and financial integrity through cybercrime and fraudulent activities.
