A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones linked to Chinese cyber-fraud operators to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu issued the order on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following an application by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC, through its counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa, had filed a motion on notice seeking the permanent forfeiture of the devices.
The court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on July 8, 2026, directing the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow any interested person or entity to appear and show cause why the phones should not be permanently forfeited.
Moving the application for final forfeiture, Kofarnaisa told the court that the EFCC had complied with the directive by publishing the notice in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026.
She said no individual or entity came forward to challenge the forfeiture within the period stipulated by the court.
The application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, Christopher Augustine, who outlined the findings of the Commission’s investigation.
According to the affidavit, the 431 phones were linked to a cyber-fraud operation allegedly involving Chinese and Nigerian youths at a facility known as “HK” in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The facility was allegedly used to train and deploy Nigerian youths and foreign nationals to perpetrate romance, investment and cryptocurrency fraud.
The EFCC said victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe were among the major targets of the operation.
Augustine stated that a sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, resulted in the arrest of more than 700 individuals, including about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos and other foreign nationals.
The affidavit further identified Genting International Company Limited (GICL), allegedly controlled by Chinese national Huang Haoyu, also known as Ken, and other foreign nationals as being involved in the operation.
According to the EFCC, Huang and GICL were subsequently charged with 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.
The Commission said Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced by the court.
The EFCC operative further stated that the 431 mobile phones were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were therefore subject to forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
After hearing the submissions of the EFCC and reviewing the affidavit evidence before the court, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.
The judge consequently ordered the final forfeiture of the 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
