A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced seven Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment each for cyberterrorism and internet fraud connected to a large-scale Ponzi scheme uncovered in December 2024.
The convicts – Peng Li Huan, Zhang Jin Rong, He Kun, Rachelle Cabalona, Caselyn Pionela, Guo Long Long, and Zhang Hua Zhai – were arrested during an EFCC raid on a Victoria Island property where over 700 suspects were detained.
The defendants faced separate trials before Justices Ayokunle Faji, Chukwujekwu Aneke, and Yellim Bogoro. EFCC prosecutors Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, Chineye Okezie, and Banjo Temitope informed the court the defendants had accepted plea bargains filed June 20, 2025.
All seven pleaded guilty, confirming their voluntary consent to the agreements.
The amended charge stated they “willfully accessed computer systems organized to destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria by recruiting Nigerian youths to commit identity theft and impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain” in December 2024.
Each convict received a one-year prison sentence with an option of a ₦1 million fine. The courts also ordered the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service to ensure their deportation within seven days of completing their prison terms.
The offenses violated Section 18 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 (as amended in 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2022. This conviction represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s fight against transnational cybercrime networks exploiting local populations for fraudulent schemes.
