Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday remanded 13 Chinese nationals in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services over allegations of cybercrime, impersonation and fraud.
Justice Dipeolu ordered that the foreigners be kept behind bars after their arraignment alongside a company, Genting International Co. Limited on 13 different charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The defendants comprising 11 males and 2 females were accused by the anti-graft agency of illegally accessing computer systems with the intent to destabilise Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
The defendants 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 anti-graft agency’s legal team, led by its Director of Legal Affairs, Aso Peters, informed the judge that the defendants committed the offences sometime in December 2024.
Peters also claimed that the offences violated Sections 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty, except Wang Zheng Ming, who rejected the EFCC-appointed lawyer and requested additional time to secure his own legal representation.
Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case to February 3, 14, and 21 for trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Centre.
One defendant, Liu San Hua, was specifically accused of facilitating identity theft by hiring Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain.
This act, the EFCC said is a violation of Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015.
The charges against the defendants include allegations of using fake identities online to defraud victims, training employees of Genting International Co. Limited in fraudulent practices, and other related offences under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act, 2006.
According to the EFCC, the charges outlined serious offences aimed at undermining Nigeria’s security and financial integrity through cybercrime and fraudulent activities.