Court Orders Final Forfeiture of 431 Phones Linked to Chinese Cyber-Fraud Syndicate

​The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government, cutting off the digital arsenal of a multi-billion naira international cyber-fraud syndicate.

​Justice Dehinde Dipeolu granted the absolute forfeiture order following a motion on notice moved by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa. The gadgets were tied to a massive, high-tech cybercrime hub operated by foreign nationals and local collaborators in the commercial nerve center of the country.

​The legal milestone stems from a sweeping sting operation executed on December 10, 2024, at a facility codenamed “HK,” situated in the upscale Victoria Island district of Lagos. The raid blew the lid off a sophisticated cyber-terror and financial crime factory where hundreds of Nigerian youths, alongside foreign nationals, were trained and deployed to target unsuspecting victims across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several European territories with romance scams, fake investments, and cryptocurrency schemes.

​The crackdown on the syndicate netted over 700 suspects, encompassing roughly 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, and individuals from other countries. Investigations revealed that the illicit network operated under the corporate cover of Genting International Company Limited (GICL), heavily steered by Huang Haoyu (alias Ken) and other foreign associates.

​The kingpins and their corporate entity subsequently faced severe multi-count criminal charges before the court, bordering on cyber terrorism, possession of fraudulent instruments, illegal foreign exchange transactions, money laundering, and failing to declare business activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML). Following guilty pleas entered by the defendants, the court convicted and sentenced them accordingly.

​Pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, the EFCC pursued the legal forfeiture of the confiscated gadgets as direct proceeds of unlawful operations.

​An initial interim order was granted by the court on July 8, 2026, mandating the anti-graft agency to widely publicize the directive in a national newspaper to give any interested claimant a window to show cause against the permanent seizure. Demonstrating compliance, the EFCC published the notice in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026.

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​With the stipulated legal timeframe lapsing without any individual or entity stepping forward to contest the ownership or legitimacy of the devices, Kofarnaisa pressed for the absolute transfer of the assets to the state.

​Reviewing the comprehensive affidavit depositions deposed by EFCC operative Christopher Augustine alongside the legal submissions presented, Justice Dipeolu ruled that the application was meritorious and ordered the immediate final forfeiture of all 431 mobile devices to the Federal Government of Nigeria.