According to AFP, Nigeria's largest transnational cyber fraud case has been adjudicated, with a Lagos court convicting 15 foreign nationals of Asian descent on charges of cyber fraud and "cyber terrorism." This is the largest international cybercrime case cracked in Nigeria in recent years.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated in a declaration that the accused included 11 Filipinos, 2 Chinese, 1 Malaysian, and 1 Indonesian. They pleaded guilty in court and were ultimately sentenced to one year in prison and fined 1 million Naira each (approximately 630 USD).
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said that these foreign suspects have been active in Nigeria for a long time, recruiting local youths to assist them in identity theft and impersonating foreigners to carry out phishing attacks, mainly targeting victims in Europe and America. The court has ordered the confiscation of all electronic devices seized in the case, to be handed over to the federal government.
It is reported that these gangs used social platforms, emails, and fake websites to induce victims to transfer money, provide passwords, and disclose sensitive personal information, implementing typical "Advance Fee Fraud" and account hijacking techniques.
In recent years, Nigeria has been plagued by the phenomenon of "Yahoo Boys"—young people engaged in cyber fraud who have become part of criminal networks, attracting many international criminal organizations to set up operations. Cybersecurity experts warn that foreign groups exploit local weak law enforcement and insufficient technical protection, colluding with locals to form transnational fraud networks.
The EFCC also disclosed that in December 2023, during a raid in the upscale community of Victoria Island in Lagos, 792 people were arrested in one fell swoop, including 192 foreigners, among them 148 Chinese citizens. Many foreign suspects are still under trial.
The EFCC emphasized that it will continue to strengthen law enforcement cooperation and anti-fraud capabilities to combat all transnational criminal activities that endanger national cybersecurity.
