Court convicts two Chinese nationals for cyber-terrorism, N3.4bn fraud

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday convicted two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, on cyber-terrorism and a N3.4 billion fraud charges.

The convicts, alongside one Friday Audu, were among a syndicate of 792 fraudsters arrested for cryptocurrency, investment and romance fraud on 19 December 2024 in Lagos.

They were arrested during a surprise operation tagged ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) operatives.

Some of the suspects had been convicted and sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment in separate trials last year.

On Wednesday, trial judge Daniel Osiagor convicted Haoyou and Hongxu after they changed their pleas from “not guilty” to “guilty” during Wednesday’s proceedings.

The judge imposed cumulative 46 years’ imprisonment on each of the two convicts, according to a statement by the prosecution agency, EFCC, on Wednesday.

The statement did not disclose the breakdown of the sentences attracted by each of the offences of which they were convicted. That would have revealed the maximum number of years the convicts would spend in prison, since the prison terms on imposed on them for each charge are likely to run concurrently.

But the statement said the judge gave the convicts an option of a N56 million fine.

He also ordered that they undertake three days of community service and be repatriated to their home country after serving their sentences.

The case was adjourned until 29 April, for the continuation of trial of the third defendant, Friday Audu, who maintained his plea of not guilty.

Plea reversal

Messrs Huanthe g and Hongxu were arraigned alongside Mr Audu and a company, Genting International Co. Ltd., by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on seven counts of cyber-terrorism, internet fraud and money laundering.

The charges involve N3,407,824,740.78 and $2,562,203 allegedly traced to the syndicate.

At the resumed hearing on 11 February, lawyer to the first and third defendants, Bridget Omateno, informed the court that Messrs Huang and Hongxu wished to change their pleas.

When the charges were re-read, both defendants pleaded guilty, while Mr Audu maintained his earlier plea.

Following the plea change, prosecution lawyer Bilikisu Bala-Buhari urged the court to impose the maximum penalty of life imprisonment on counts one to three and 14 years on counts four to seven.

The court subsequently convicted and sentenced the two men.

The offences

According to the EFCC, the defendants conspired in 2024 to access computer systems in a manner capable of seriously destabilising Nigeria’s economic and social structures.

They were accused of recruiting and employing Nigerian youths to falsely pose as foreign nationals on online platforms to defraud unsuspecting victims through cryptocurrency investment scams and romance fraud.

The offences contravene Sections 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), as well as provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The EFCC also alleged that between August and December 2024, the defendants retained N3.4 billion in a Union Bank account belonging to Genting International Co. Ltd., knowing the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.

The anti-graft agency said the defendants were among 792 suspected cybercrime operatives arrested on 19 December 2024, during a coordinated operation in Lagos codenamed “Eagle Flush.”

In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said investigations revealed that Mr Audu incorporated Genting International Co. Ltd. at the directive of Mr Huang to facilitate the alleged fraudulent scheme.

Forfeiture

The court ordered the forfeiture of items recovered from four properties in Victoria Island and Ikoyi to the Federal Government.

Recovered items include 1,596 mobile phones, 43 computer systems, 194 routers, a network server, thousands of SIM cards, 126 air-conditioning units, generators, vehicles, office furniture, mattresses and bunk beds.

Bail to defendant

Earlier in the proceedings, Mr Osiagor granted Mr Audu bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties, one of whom must be a serving director and property owner with verifiable title documents deposited in court.

However, bail was denied to the two Chinese nationals prior to their guilty pleas after the EFCC argued that they were flight risks and key figures in the alleged syndicate.

By Emmanuel Agbo, Premium Times

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Nigerian fintech Redtech plans to raise $100 million for expansion

CEO Emmanuel Ojo says the company will first extend its services to 29 African countries, after which they will consider a Series A funding round. Redtech expects annual transactions on its platform to grow from $25 billion in 2025 to $100 billion within two years, with the transaction value tripling to $73.6 billion. Backed by tycoon Tony Elumelu, Redtech is also looking to expand its equity base and introduce new products across the continent.

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US Bill targets illegal Chinese mining in Nigeria

A new bill in the United States House of Representatives seeks to have the US Secretary of State collaborate with Nigeria to counter what lawmakers describe as the destabilizing impact of illegal Chinese mining operations in the country.

The “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026” was introduced on Tuesday by five Republican lawmakers: Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga. The sponsors allege that some Chinese mining companies operating in Nigeria have been paying protection money to Fulani militias, fueling local violence and insecurity.

Under the proposed legislation, the Secretary of State would provide technical support to Nigeria aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating militia-related violence, including through disarmament programs and comprehensive counter-terrorism cooperation. The bill also calls for coordination with international partners such as France, Hungary, and the UK to advance religious freedom and peace.

Clauses 10 and 11 of the bill specifically direct:

“The Secretary of State should work with the Government of Nigeria to counteract the hostile foreign exploitation of Chinese illegal mining operations and their destabilizing practice of paying protection money to Fulani militias.”

The legislation also tasks the Secretary of State with determining whether certain Fulani-ethnic militias qualify as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

The bill references a 2023 report by The Times, which alleged that Chinese nationals in Nigeria’s mining sector were indirectly funding militant groups in the northwest to secure access to mineral resources. According to the report, some miners in Zamfara acted as runners for militant groups, raising concerns that “Beijing could be indirectly funding terror in Africa’s largest economy.”

If passed, the bill would represent a significant US intervention in Nigeria’s mineral sector and security landscape, linking foreign mining operations to militia activity and underscoring broader concerns about regional stability, counter-terrorism, and governance.

By David Meshioye, The Guardian

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Desperation pushes communities in Nigeria to seal peace pacts with armed gangs

In northern Nigeria's Katsina state, persistent insecurity has led some communities to take drastic measures. A recent attack in a town occurred despite a local peace agreement with armed groups, highlighting the fragility of such deals. While authorities like the police do not endorse these arrangements, they reflect the extreme steps residents are taking to protect themselves when formal security measures fall short. CGTN explores this complex reality on the ground.

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Uncertainty on the streets over Nigeria’s sachet alcohol ban

 

It’s a hot early afternoon on a tree-lined street in FESTAC town, a popular residential estate in Lagos. People take shelter in the shade beside a local restaurant. Cash vendors work the curb near a major hotel, and at a roadside kiosk, two Seaman’s Aromatic Schnapps sachets go for 200 Naira ($0.12, €0.11).

Philip, who buys sachets “almost every day,” says he prefers to “take it small, small” rather than buy a large bottle. “I plan it…I have a minimum and a maximum.” For him, sachets are about volume control, not price. “If there is no sachet, I can switch to a bigger one… It depends on my mood,” he told DW.

Nigeria’s food and drug regulator, NAFDAC, has long planned a phase-out of alcohol packaged in sachets and in plastic bottles of less than 200ml (0.05 gallons). It announced the ban would be enforced as planned from December last year, but disagreement between government agencies has created confusion and ambiguity about whether the ban is actually in force. The policy is intended to reduce alcohol abuse by minors and drivers.

Conflicting directives are causing confusion

At a Lagos press briefing in late January 2026, NAFDAC Director General Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye stated that enforcement had resumed, saying the agency had received a “matching order” from the Senate. But NAFDAC’s statement conflicts with a December 15, 2025, directive issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), ordering an immediate suspension of all enforcement actionspending consultations and a final directive. The statement also added that any action taken without OSGF clearance “should be disregarded.”

At the time of publication, there was no public OSGF notice lifting that suspension, leaving manufacturers, retailers and buyers guessing which order to obey.

Segun Ajayi-Kadir, director general of Nigeria’s Manufacturers Association (MAN), says that a “renewed ban” would hurt the economy, disrupt compliant producers, and encourage the sale of illicit, unregulated products. He added that operators are “confused as to which directive to follow.”


According to Ajayi-Kadir, alcohol packaged in sachets serves low-income adult consumers, and an outright ban would limit their choice.

On January 23, members of Nigeria’s labour unions, including the country’s Distillers and Blenders Association, held demonstrations outside NAFDAC’s Lagos office, holding placards that read: “Local manufacturers deserve protection, not frustration” and “5.5 million Nigerians cannot be pushed to the streets.” They argue that the ban risks jobs and investments.

Each sachet has its ‘own work’ in the body

For Amara Ruth, who has sold alcohol packaged in sachets at her roadside kiosk in FESTAC town since 2019, demand has not dipped. “People always buy,” she told DW. “At night sales are very high,” she said, adding that afternoons also bring in a steady flow of clients. Pricing is simple: 100 Naira for the smaller sachet, 200 Naira for the larger one.

Ruth believes buyers would still pay even if prices rose, because sachets are an inexpensive entry point. Her bestsellers range from gins used for libation to bitters and “manpower” brands popular for sexual enhancement. “Each sachet has its own work they do in the body,” she explained. Nigerian bitters drinks are herbal-based alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that are traditionally believed to provide the body with various health benefits.

“Nobody from NAFDAC has come here. Nobody at all,” she says, recalling only a temporary squeeze on one bitters brand last year. Ruth sometimes refuses sales to older men who get drunk quickly or to young buyers she does not trust, but admitted that children may buy for adults.

Philip’s experience is similar. He says availability has not tightened since talk of a ban began. “Nothing changed. It’s even multiplied. In Lagos, you can get it anywhere, within 20 meters, you have one.” On youth access, he adds: “If they want to get it, they will get it.”

A 2019 report published in African Health Sciences revealed 30% alcohol use among young Nigerians. The World Health Organization’s (WHO)Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health (2018) estimated heavy episodic drinking among Nigerians aged 15–19 at 22.5%, one of the highest rates in Africa.

Alcohol in sachets linked to road accidents, domestic violence

Civil society groups like CAPPA, a regional corporate accountability organisation, and NHED, a Nigerian Health Equity NGO, argue that sachets make high-strength alcohol easy for young people to obtain and conceal, linking widespread use to road crashes, school dropouts, domestic violence and early addiction.

Several African countries have restricted or banned sachet alcohol on health grounds. Kenya in 2004 andCote d’Ivoire in 2016, with additional actions in Malawi, Cameroon and Tanzania.

In Nigeria, the question is no longer about availability — sachets remain widely sold — but about who is responsible for enforcement, with NAFDAC announcing a crackdown while the OSGF’s suspension order remains in place.

Back in FESTAC town, very little appears to have shifted. At Amara’s kiosk, sachets continue to sell alongsidebeer and sodas, and demand remains steady through the day.

For consumers like Philip, the appeal is still convenience and control over how much they drink. But until the authorities resolve the conflicting directives and set out how enforcement should work at street level, drinkers can allay their confusion with an alcohol sachet of their choice.

By Okey Omeire, Inquirer