Big Hit! EFCC Secures Forfeiture of 431 Phones Linked to Chinese Cyber-Fraud Network in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones allegedly linked to a cyber-fraud operation involving Chinese nationals and Nigerian youths in Lagos.

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Commission secured the forfeiture order on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following a ruling by Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

The judge granted the order after hearing a motion on notice filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa.

The 431 mobile phones had earlier been placed under an interim forfeiture order on July 8, 2026. The court subsequently directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper, allowing any interested person or entity to appear and explain why the devices should not be permanently forfeited.

Moving the application for final forfeiture, Kofarnaisa told the court that the Commission had complied with the directive by publishing the notice in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026.

She said no individual or organisation came forward to challenge the forfeiture within the period stipulated by the court.

The application was supported by an affidavit sworn to by an EFCC operative, Christopher Augustine, who detailed the findings of the Commission’s investigation.

According to the affidavit, the phones were linked to an alleged cyber-fraud operation operating from a facility known as “HK” in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The EFCC alleged that the facility was used to train and deploy Nigerian youths and foreign nationals to carry out romance scams, investment fraud and cryptocurrency-related fraud.

Victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe were reportedly among the major targets of the alleged operation.

The affidavit further stated that an EFCC sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, resulted in the arrest of more than 700 individuals, including about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos and other foreign nationals.

The Commission also linked Genting International Company Limited (GICL), allegedly controlled by Chinese national Huang Haoyu, also known as Ken, and other foreign nationals to the operation.

According to the EFCC, Huang and GICL were subsequently charged with seven counts bordering on cyber terrorism, possession of fraudulent documents, failure to declare activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), illegal foreign exchange transactions and money laundering.

The Commission said Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced by the court.

In support of the forfeiture application, the EFCC maintained that the 431 mobile phones were “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities” and were therefore liable to forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

After reviewing the affidavit evidence and considering the submissions of the EFCC, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.

The court consequently ordered the final forfeiture of the 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The ruling marks the latest legal development arising from the EFCC’s investigation into the alleged cyber-fraud operation in Lagos.

#