The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones linked to Chinese cyber-fraud operators convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, ordered the permanent forfeiture of the devices to the Federal Government following an application by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC.
The order was granted on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after EFCC counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa, moved a motion on notice seeking the final forfeiture of the phones.
The court had earlier, on July 8, 2026, granted an interim forfeiture order and directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow any interested person or entity to show cause why the devices should not be permanently forfeited.
In compliance with the directive, Kofarnaisa told the court that the EFCC published the notice in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026.
She said no individual or organisation came forward within the stipulated period to contest the proposed forfeiture.
The application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, Christopher Augustine, detailing the findings of the Commission’s investigation into the devices and the alleged cyber-fraud network.
According to the affidavit, the 431 mobile phones were linked to a cyber-fraud operation allegedly involving Chinese and Nigerian nationals at a facility identified as “HK” in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The facility was allegedly used to train and deploy Nigerian youths and foreign nationals to conduct romance, investment and cryptocurrency fraud targeting victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe.
The affidavit stated that an EFCC sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, resulted in the arrest of more than 700 individuals, comprising about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos and other foreign nationals.
The investigation also linked Genting International Company Limited (GICL), allegedly controlled by Huang Haoyu, also known as Ken, a Chinese national, and other foreign nationals to the operation.
The EFCC said Huang and GICL were subsequently prosecuted on seven counts bordering on cyber terrorism, possession of fraudulent documents, failure to declare activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), illegal foreign exchange transactions and money laundering.
According to the Commission, Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced by the court.
The EFCC maintained that the 431 mobile devices were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were therefore liable to forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
After considering the submissions of the EFCC and the evidence contained in the affidavit, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.
The court consequently ordered the final forfeiture of the 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
