By Jose Oby 
In one of the most extensive cybercrime crackdowns in Nigeria’s history, the Federal High Court in Lagos has granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an interim forfeiture order over a staggering cache of assets—including 73 residential properties and a trove of high-tech devices—linked to an alleged Chinese-led cybercrime and money laundering syndicate.
The ruling, issued by Justice Deinde Dipeolu on April 23, 2025, under suit number FHC/L/MISC/382/2025, follows an ex parte motion filed by EFCC counsel B.M. Isah against a company identified as Genting International Co.
According to the EFCC, the seized items were recovered during a large-scale sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, at a suspected operational hub located at No. 7 Oyinjolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Massive Haul of Evidence
The inventory of seized assets is staggering in both scale and variety:
• 1,596 computers and laptops
• 4,091 mobile phones
• 350 foreign SIM cards and 3,399 Nigerian SIMs (including 1,122 MTN, 316 9mobile, 1,277 Airtel, and 684 Glo)
• 194 routers, 43 CPUs/monitors, and a network server
• Seven vehicles, 411 deep freezers, and 205 sofas
• High-end household electronics and furniture including refrigerators, air fryers, inverter systems, gas cylinders, and a spiral dough mixer
The EFCC also confiscated items suggesting large-scale accommodation arrangements: 501 bunk beds, 754 mattresses, and numerous kitchen appliances—pointing to what officials believe was a cybercrime training and operations facility for young Nigerian recruits.
Training Ground for Scammers
An affidavit deposed by EFCC investigator Kaina Garba details how the syndicate allegedly recruited Nigerian youths, equipping them with computers and pre-configured mobile lines to conduct romance, dating, and investment scams targeting unsuspecting victims globally.
Additional properties tied to the operation were uncovered in high-end districts across Lagos, including:
• No. 14 Modupe Alakija Crescent, Ikoyi
• Plot 1220 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island
• Plot No. 54A A.J. Marinho Drive, Victoria Island
During the coordinated raid, 761 suspects—comprising both Nigerian and foreign nationals—were apprehended. While the EFCC has made significant progress, the purported ringleaders and financiers, believed to be Chinese nationals, remain at large but are currently under active surveillance.
Justice Dipeolu, granting the EFCC’s motion under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, declared:
“I have read the motion and attachments and find sufficient merit in the application. Consequently, the motion succeeds and is hereby granted.”
The court has directed the EFCC to publicize the interim forfeiture in a national daily and called on any interested parties to appear within 14 days to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
This unprecedented bust sends a powerful message about Nigeria’s intensified stance against cybercrime and its commitment to dismantling foreign-led digital crime syndicates operating on its soil.