The trial of several foreign nationals arrested in December 2024 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of cybercrime and cyber terrorism was delayed on Monday due to the late arrival of an interpreter.
The interpreter, responsible for translating the charges and proceedings from English to Mandarin, had not arrived on time.
Trial judge, Justice Olayinka Faji, had allotted a strict 10 a.m. slot for the proceedings due to the court’s busy schedule. However, when the case was initially called, prosecution counsel Hannatu Kofarnaisa informed the court that the defendants had not yet been brought in. The court then stood down the proceedings and moved on to other matters.
Shortly after, the defendants arrived, but it was discovered that the interpreter had still not arrived. The court declined to grant a second stand-down and instead adjourned the matter. While the court was preparing its adjournment directive, the interpreter arrived at 10:48 a.m.
Upon learning of the interpreter’s arrival, the prosecution counsel informed the court. Justice Faji expressed concern about the change in interpreter, questioning why a new interpreter had been introduced after the previous one had been briefed on the case. The judge emphasized the need for consistency and ordered that the original interpreter, who had been present during the defendants’ arraignment, should remain in the proceedings.
One of the defense counsels, Nkereuwem Abraham, requested that the trial be adjourned to another date to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. The Act requires that all defendants are provided with adequate facilities for their defense. However, the court maintained that the defense counsel had sufficient time to prepare their case since the arraignment.
Defense counsel Ayo Olaiya also informed the court of a pending bail application for his clients.
Justice Faji subsequently adjourned the case to March 4 and 5, 2025, for the commencement of the trial and for hearing of the bail applications.
On February 6, 2025, the EFCC had arraigned Zhao Ying Bin, Yu Zi (also known as Wei Xuehuan), Zhang Yang, Wang Zhi Cheng, and Genting International Co. Limited for allegedly accessing computer systems with the intent to destabilize Nigeria’s constitutional structure. The defendants are accused of employing Nigerian youths in identity theft schemes and using false foreign identities to gain financial advantages. The charges fall under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act, 2015 (Amended 2024).
Additionally, the EFCC accused Zhao Ying Bin of making a false statement by presenting himself as “Lisi Chuan” on his Telegram account, knowing it to be false, with the intention of obtaining financial instruments for his employer. This offence is punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.
