The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abuja Zonal Directorate has arraigned a Chinese national identified as Zhang Wen Hao before Justice Ibrahim Shekarau of the Nasarawa High Court sitting in Mararaba.
Zhang was arraigned on a one-count charge of cheating.
The charge states that Zhang Wen Hao, sometime in March 2023 at Suleja within the jurisdiction of the court, intentionally induced Paul Yichol with One Thousand Naira only (#1000)to open a bank account in his name for the purpose of using same for unlawful activity and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.
Zhang pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Prosecution counsel Taiwo Aromolaran requested the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
Defence counsel Michael Ukatu made an oral application for bail on behalf of the defendant.
Justice Shekarau adjourned the matter to March 12, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
Similar Cases Involving Chinese Nationals in Fraud-Related Charges in Nigeria
Several fraud-related cases involving Chinese nationals have been prosecuted in Nigeria in recent years.
In February 2026, a Federal High Court in Lagos convicted two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, sentencing each to 46 years imprisonment for cyber-terrorism and N3.4 billion fraud.
They were accused of running Genting International Co. Ltd., recruiting Nigerians to pose as foreigners in online scams.
In June 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted nine Chinese nationals, each receiving one-year prison terms for operating a cybercrime syndicate that trained Nigerians in dating, romance, and investment scams. They were charged with illicit access to computer systems and identity theft .
In August 2025, Nigeria deported 50 Chinese nationals convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud after their involvement in romance and cryptocurrency scams. This followed the arrest of 192 foreigners, including 148 Chinese, in a Lagos-based operation.
In December 2024, the EFCC arrested nearly 800 suspects in Lagos, including 148 Chinese nationals, in a major raid on a building used as a hub for romance scams and phony cryptocurrency investments as reported by Reuters, on December 16, 2024.
In 2023, a Chinese national was arrested in Abuja for running an illegal mining operation in Nasarawa State involving fraud and unauthorized mineral extraction valued at millions of naira. The suspect was charged with economic sabotage and later deported after trial.
These cases reflect ongoing law enforcement efforts targeting foreign nationals involved in cyber fraud, economic crimes, and related offences in Nigeria.