The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the federal government.
The phones were linked to Chinese cyber-fraud operators who had been previously convicted by the court.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, issued the forfeiture order on Tuesday, 29 September, following a motion on notice filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa.
The court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on 8 July, directing the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow interested persons or entities to show cause why the phones should not be permanently forfeited.
Moving the application for final forfeiture, Ms Kofarnaisa informed the court that the commission had complied with the directive by publishing the notice in The Guardian newspaper on 11 August.
She added that no individual or entity came forward to contest the forfeiture within the period stipulated by the court.
The application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, Christopher Augustine, who detailed the findings of the commission’s investigation.
According to the affidavit, the 431 mobile phones were linked to a cyber-fraud operation allegedly involving Chinese and Nigerian youths at a facility known as “HK” in Victoria Island, Lagos, which was used to train and deploy Nigerian youths and foreign nationals to carry out romance, investment and cryptocurrency fraud.
The operative stated that victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe were major targets, adding that a sting operation conducted on 10 December 2024 led to the arrest of more than 700 individuals, including about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos and other foreign nationals.
The affidavit also stated that Genting International Company Limited (GICL), allegedly controlled by Huang Haoyu, also known as Ken, a Chinese national, and other foreign nationals, was involved in the operation.
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The EFCC said Mr 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 stated that Mr Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced by the court.
Mr Augustine stated that the 431 devices were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were therefore subject to forfeiture pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
After hearing the submissions of the EFCC and reviewing the affidavit evidence before the court, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.
The judge consequently ordered the final forfeiture of the 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
