By Francis Ekeh

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, arraigned a businessman, Christopher Elendu Enyinnwa, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, for an alleged N30.14 million fraud.

Enyinnwa was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion and obtaining money under false pretences in connection with the proposed supply of slippers from China.

The defendant was alleged to have collected a total sum of N30,140,000 from the petitioner, Chidebere Love Okafor, for the supply of slippers from China.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Fanen Anum, informed the court that the prosecution was ready for trial and had two witnesses available in court.

Defence counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, however, sought an adjournment to enable him prepare for trial, explaining that he had only prepared for the arraignment.

Justice Abike-Fadipe overruled the defence request and directed the prosecution to call its first witness.

The first prosecution witness, PW1, Okafor Love Chidebere, works in Gomac Industry Nigeria Limited and the petitioner, told the court that she knew the defendant as a fellow church member.

According to her, Enyinnwa had told her that he travelled to China for business and could assist her in purchasing slippers from China.

She said, “He is my church member. I knew him in church. He told me he buys goods, and I approached him to buy slippers in China for me.”

The witness explained that after discussing the product she wanted to purchase, she gave the defendant a sample of the slippers to take to China.

She said the defendant subsequently provided a price for the goods, which she initially considered high because she was negotiating with another company offering a lower price.

According to her, she eventually trusted Enyinnwa because he was her church member and agreed to proceed with the transaction.

She told the court that the defendant requested an initial deposit of N2 million, which she paid into his Access Bank account in August 2024.

The witness further stated that after the defendant returned from China, he showed them samples of the slippers, following which some amendments were made and the samples were returned to him.

She said the defendant later requested N11,923,000 to commence production, which was also paid into his Access Bank account.

According to her, the defendant subsequently demanded another N15 million as the balance, which was paid to him.

She said, “After that, he told us that he will go back to ship the goods in a very short while.”

However, when the defendant did not travel as expected, the witness said they contacted him and he claimed that he was having issues with his traveling documents.

She further told the court that, after several calls, the defendant requested another N2 million to facilitate his traveling documents.

According to her, she and her husband agreed to provide the money because they wanted him to travel back to China and complete the transaction.

The witness said the defendant eventually travelled to China in February 2025 and later informed them that he had shipped goods, including clothes, and would provide the relevant documents when the shipment arrived. She said the goods, however, did not arrive as promised.

The witness further narrated that her pastor subsequently summoned her to his office and informed her that some of the defendant’s claims were allegedly untrue.

She said members of the church intervened in the matter and the defendant promised to refund the money, but had yet to do so.

According to PW1, “The total amount is N30,140,000. Up till now, I have not seen the goods and the money.”

During cross-examination, defence counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, requested another date to cross-examine the witness.

The prosecution thereafter urged the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional facility.

Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned the matter to November 26, December 16 and 17, 2026, for continuation of trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional facility.

In another development, the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, secured the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government. The mobile phones were linked to Chinese cyber-fraud operators who had previously been convicted by the court.

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos issued the forfeiture order following a motion on notice filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Hannatu Kofarnaisa.

The court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on July 8, 2026, directing the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to give interested persons or entities an opportunity to show cause why the phones should not be permanently forfeited.

While moving the application for final forfeiture, Kofarnaisa informed the court that the EFCC had complied with the directive by publishing the notice in The Guardian newspaper on August 11, 2026.

She added that no individual or entity came forward to contest the forfeiture within the period stipulated by the court.

The application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, Christopher Augustine, who detailed the findings of the Commission’s investigation.

According to the affidavit, the 431 mobile phones were linked to a cyber-fraud operation allegedly involving Chinese and Nigerian youths at a facility known as “HK” in Victoria Island, Lagos which was used to train and deploy Nigerian youths and foreign nationals to carry out romance, investment and cryptocurrency fraud.

While noting that victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe were major targets, he revealed that a sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, led to the arrest of more than 700 individuals, including about 500 Nigerians, 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos and other foreign nationals.

The affidavit also stated that Genting International Company Limited (GICL), allegedly controlled by Huang Haoyu, also known as Ken, a Chinese and other foreign national, were involved in the operation.

According to the EFCC, Huang and GICL were subsequently charged with seven counts bordering on 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 Commission stated that Huang and GICL pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced by the court.

He stated that the 431 devices were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were therefore subject to forfeiture pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

After hearing the submissions of the EFCC and reviewing the affidavit evidence before the court, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.

The judge consequently ordered the final forfeiture of the 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government of Nigeria.