Lagos ‘HK’ Bust: EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of 431 Phones From Chinese Cyber Syndicate

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government following their recovery from a massive cyber-fraud syndicate run by Chinese nationals in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu issued the final forfeiture order on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proved that the devices were proceeds of unlawful activities used to execute international romance, cryptocurrency, and investment scams.

The court’s ruling followed an application moved by EFCC counsel Hannatu Kofarnaisa, who confirmed that the agency had complied with an earlier interim forfeiture directive issued on July 8, 2026, by publishing a public notice in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026. No individual or entity appeared in court to claim ownership of the seized devices within the statutory window.

An affidavit deposed to by EFCC operative Christopher Augustine exposed the shocking scale of the cyber-crime operation, which operated out of an underground facility known as “HK” in the upscale Victoria Island district of Lagos.

The facility served as a specialized training school and operational base where hundreds of young Nigerians were recruited, trained, and deployed alongside foreign nationals to target victims across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

A massive sting operation conducted at the premises on December 10, 2024, led to the arrest of over 700 suspects, including approximately 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, and several other foreign nationals.

Investigations revealed that the fraudulent syndicate was coordinated through Genting International Company Limited (GICL), a firm controlled by a Chinese national, Huang Haoyu (popularly known as “Ken”), alongside other foreign accomplices.

The EFCC subsequently arraigned Huang Haoyu and GICL on a seven-count charge bordering on: Cyber terrorism, Possession of fraudulent documents, Unlawful foreign exchange transactions, Failure to declare activities to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), and Money laundering

Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to all counts and were convicted and sentenced by the court prior to the forfeiture proceedings.

In his final judgment, Justice Dipeolu ruled that the EFCC had provided overwhelming evidence under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, justifying the permanent forfeiture of all 431 devices to the Nigerian Government.