The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones linked to a cyber-fraud operation allegedly run by Chinese and Nigerian operators at a facility in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu granted the forfeiture order on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following an application by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The devices had earlier been placed under an interim forfeiture order issued by the court on July 8, 2026, after the anti-graft agency linked them to a cyber-fraud operation allegedly targeting victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe.
EFCC counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa, told the court that the Commission had complied with an earlier directive to publish the interim forfeiture notice in a national newspaper. She said the notice was published in The Guardian on August 11, 2026, but no individual or organisation came forward to challenge the proposed permanent forfeiture.
An affidavit filed in support of the application and deposed to by an EFCC operative, Christopher Augustine, reportedly detailed how the phones were connected to activities at a facility identified as “HK” in Victoria Island.
According to the Commission, the facility was allegedly used to train and deploy Nigerian youths and foreign nationals for romance, investment and cryptocurrency fraud, with victims said to have been targeted across several countries.
Investigators further disclosed that a sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, resulted in the arrest of more than 700 persons, including about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos and other foreign nationals.
Among those linked to the operation was Huang Haoyu, also known as Ken, alongside Genting International Company Limited (GICL), which the EFCC alleged was involved in the activities at the facility.
Huang and GICL were subsequently charged with seven offences, including 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 EFCC told the court that Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced.
While seeking final forfeiture of the phones, the Commission argued that the 431 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 permanent forfeiture of all 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The latest order marks another legal development arising from the EFCC’s investigation into the alleged cyber-fraud network, following the earlier convictions of persons linked to the operation.
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