The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones used in a massive, multi-country cyber-fraud syndicate operated by convicted Chinese nationals in Lagos.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos issued the final forfeiture order on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, transferring ownership of the devices to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The ruling follows an application filed by EFCC counsel Hannatu Kofarnaisa, following an interim forfeiture order granted on July 8, 2026. The commission confirmed it had published the court order in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026, allowing interested parties to claim ownership. No individual or entity stepped forward to contest the application within the stipulated timeframe.
An affidavit sworn by EFCC operative Christopher Augustine revealed that the devices were recovered during a raid on a Victoria Island facility operating under the name “HK.” Investigators described the location as a training ground and hub where foreign nationals and local youths were deployed to execute romance, investment, and cryptocurrency scams targeting victims across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
The facility was dismantled during a December 10, 2024 sting operation that led to the arrest of over 700 individuals, including approximately 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, and other foreign citizens.
The operation was tied to Genting International Company Limited (GICL), controlled by Chinese national Huang Haoyu (also known as “Ken”). Huang and GICL were prosecuted on a seven-count charge including cyberterrorism, possession of fraudulent documents, illegal foreign exchange transactions, money laundering, and failure to declare activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML).
Following guilty pleas from both Huang and GICL, the court convicted and sentenced them. Justice Dipeolu ruled that the 431 recovered phones constituted proceeds of unlawful activity under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, ordering their permanent surrender to the government.
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