A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of 73 properties, including laptops and phones, linked to a Chinese cyber-terrorism syndicate arrested by the EFCC in a major crackdown on internet fraud.
EFCC Secures Forfeiture of 73 Properties from Chinese Cybercrime Syndicate in Lagos
Cyber-Terrorism: Court Orders Interim Forfeiture of 73 Properties Linked to Chinese Suspects in Lagos
Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has granted an interim forfeiture order on 73 properties and items, including 1,596 laptop computers, linked to a group of Chinese nationals allegedly involved in cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The suspects are said to be part of a syndicate of 792 individuals arrested during a coordinated sting operation known as “Eagle Flush Operation” carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on December 10, 2024, in Lagos. The group is alleged to have been engaged in cryptocurrency investment scams and online romance fraud.
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The order, granted on Wednesday, April 23, followed an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC on April 17, 2025, through its counsel, B.M. Isah, targeting Genting International Co. as a party in the case.
Items Seized Include:
1,596 laptops/computers
4,091 mobile phones
3,399 Nigerian SIM cards (1,122 MTN, 1,277 Airtel, 684 Glo, 316 9mobile)
350 foreign SIM cards
194 routers
205 sofas
501 bunk beds
754 mattresses
40 refrigerators, 10 microwaves, 13 electric kettles, 21 UPS units, two whiteboards, and six gas cylinders
43 CPUs/monitors, a ring light, two fuel tanks, a transformer
Seven vehicles
411 deep freezers, a network server, a toaster, an air fryer, a blender, and a spiral dough mixer
558 office desks, two television sets, two double-burner stoves, and a dining set
16 inverter batteries and 14 inverters
Three weight scales
The EFCC argued that these items were reasonably suspected to have been used for computer-related fraud and money laundering.
In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu stated, “I have read the motion and the accompanying documents, and I find sufficient merit in the application. Consequently, the motion succeeds and is hereby granted.”
The court further directed that a public notice of the interim forfeiture order be published in a national newspaper. This allows any interested party 14 days to come forward and show cause why the forfeited assets should not be permanently handed over to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
