The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, has ordered the interim forfeiture of 73 properties and thousands of electronic devices linked to an alleged cyber-terrorism and internet fraud syndicate involving Chinese nationals.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu gave the order last week Wednesday following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April 17, 2025, against Genting International Co.
According to a statement signed by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media & Publicity for the EFCC, the forfeited items include 1,596 laptops, 4,091 mobile phones, 350 foreign SIM cards, and 3,399 Nigerian SIM cards, comprising 1,122 MTN, 316 9mobile, 1,277 Airtel, and 684 Glo SIM cards.
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Represented by its counsel, B.M. Isah, the The EFCC said that the court also ordered the forfeiture of 194 routers, 205 sofas, 501 bunk beds, 754 mattresses, 40 refrigerators, 10 microwaves, and several other household and office items.
“Other seized assets include seven vehicles, 411 deep freezers, 21 UPS units, 14 inverters, two whiteboards, a network server, 16 inverter batteries, a transformer, a ring light, fuel tanks, gas cylinders, kitchen appliances, and a spiral dough mixer”, the statement reads.
The EFCC said the assets were recovered during a surprise raid codenamed “Eagle Flush Operation” on December 10, 2024, in Lagos.
“The operation led to the arrest of 792 suspected members of the syndicate, who were allegedly involved in cryptocurrency investment scams and romance fraud”, it added.
In his ruling, Dipeolu stated: “I have read the motion and attachments and found sufficient merit in the application. Consequently, the motion succeeds and is hereby granted.”
The court also directed that the interim forfeiture order be published in a national newspaper, giving interested parties 14 days to show cause why a final forfeiture order should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
