Court Orders Forfeiture of Phones from Chinese Fraud Ring

Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones associated with a Chinese-led cyber-fraud syndicate. The phones were seized during a major Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raid in December 2024.

The EFCC, represented by counsel Hanatu Kofarnaisa, filed an application for the forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution. EFCC investigator Christopher Augustine stated that the phones were linked to a cyber-fraud operation based in a facility known as “HK” in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The operation, which came to light during the December 2024 raid on the Big Leaf Building, led to the arrest of 792 suspects, including 148 Chinese nationals. The syndicate was accused of recruiting Nigerian youths for romance and investment scams targeting victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, using a platform called “yooto.com” to lure victims.