The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has clarified that the 101 Nigerians arrested alongside four Chinese nationals in a cybercrime operation in Abuja were not coerced into the illegal activity.
The suspects, apprehended at an apartment in the Gudu area, included 67 males and 38 females. According to the EFCC, they were involved in a fraudulent scheme targeting hotel reviews and victims across Europe and other regions.
Deen Whyte, EFCC’s Head of Cybercrime, stated that the Nigerians willingly applied for advertised job opportunities. He added, “The suspects were not forced into the work. Upon discovering its nature, they could have left, but choosing to stay made them complicit.”
EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren explained that the Chinese syndicate attracted Nigerians with job offers before instructing them to initiate fraudulent contact with victims globally, particularly in Europe and the UK. The EFCC urged Nigerians to exercise caution when accepting suspicious job offers to avoid falling into criminal networks.
