The Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu (Ken) and An Hongxu, directors of Genting International Co. Limited, to 46 years in prison each for their roles in a multi-billion-naira cybercrime and money laundering scheme.
Justice Daniel Osiagor delivered the judgment on Wednesday, giving the convicts an option to pay a ₦56 million fine, ordering three days of community service, and directing that they be repatriated to China after completing their sentences and service.
The two were among 792 suspects arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos in December 2024 in connection with Internet and cryptocurrency fraud. A third defendant, Audu Friday, pleaded not guilty and will face trial separately.
During proceedings, defence counsel Bridget Omateno informed the court that Huang and An had changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty. Although no plea bargain was reached, the court allowed the charges to be read afresh, after which the two men formally pleaded guilty, while Friday maintained his innocence.
The EFCC prosecutor, Bilkisu Bala-Buhari, requested maximum sentencing, noting that counts one and two attract life imprisonment, while counts three and four carry 14-year terms, urging the court to impose the maximum sentence to serve as a deterrent.
Justice Osiagor sentenced each convict to a cumulative 46-year prison term, with the option of paying ₦56 million, plus three days of community service, followed by repatriation to China. The court also ordered the forfeiture of assets recovered during the investigation, including:
-
1,596 mobile phones
-
2,120 office chairs and 544 office tables
-
194 routers and 43 computer systems
-
1 network server, 126 air-conditioning units, generators, vehicles
-
Hundreds of mattresses and bunk beds, thousands of SIM cards
-
Other electronic and household items
These items were seized from multiple Lagos locations, including Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and A.J. Marinho Drive.
The defendants were accused of recruiting Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals online for financial gain, unlawfully accessing computer systems, and laundering fraud proceeds. Investigators said the defendants retained $1,262,000 USDT in a Binance wallet and $1,300,203 USDT in a Bybit wallet, as well as ₦3.4 billion in Genting International’s Union Bank account.
They also allegedly transferred ₦913.9 million to an associate, Duliang Pan (currently at large), and ₦106.95 million to Lagos Oriental Hotel Limited.
Proceedings against Friday and Genting International will continue on charges related to unlawful foreign exchange transactions and failure to make statutory declarations to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering.
