EFCC Re-Arrests Crypto Fraud Kingpin, Friday Audu, Outside Court Premises

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has rearrested Friday Audu, the alleged mastermind of a massive cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scam, just moments after he was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

In a dramatic turn of events, EFCC operatives intercepted Audu as he stepped out of the court premises on Thursday. The anti-graft officers swiftly bundled him into a waiting white van and whisked him away, while his co-defendants were led off by correctional officers.

Audu, alongside two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, as well as their company, Genting International Ltd, is facing a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime. The trio was arraigned before Justice Daniel Osiagor on Monday, March 17, and returned to court on March 20 for their bail hearing.

Despite being granted bail, Audu’s troubles deepened as EFCC officials moved in swiftly. The court had granted him bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties—one being a serving director in Nigeria, and the other a Lagos-based property owner willing to surrender title documents to the court. Until these conditions are met, Audu was to remain in correctional custody.

However, his alleged accomplice, Huang Haoyu, was not as fortunate. The court denied his bail application, ruling that his residence status in Nigeria was unclear and that he posed a flight risk. The third defendant, An Hongxu, did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody.

Justice Osiagor adjourned the trial to May 2, 2025.

How It All Started

The EFCC’s case against Audu and his co-defendants stems from a December 2024 sting operation that led to the arrest of 193 foreigners and several Nigerians linked to a sophisticated cyber-fraud network.

According to the prosecution, Audu allegedly spearheaded the recruitment of young Nigerians into the syndicate, which engaged in cyber fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and illicit financial dealings. The EFCC further alleged that the group conspired with one Dualiang Pan (still at large) to access computer systems designed to destabilize Nigeria’s economic and social structure.

The defendants were accused of using young Nigerians to impersonate foreign nationals in online scams, defrauding unsuspecting victims of millions of dollars. Investigators also linked them to a staggering ₦3.4 billion fraud, with proceeds traced to the Union Bank account of Genting International Ltd.

Other fraudulent transactions flagged in the case include:

• The illegal retention of $1.2 million in a crypto wallet by one Chukwuemeka Okeke.
• A similar retention of $1.3 million by Alhassan Garba and Ifesinachi Jacobs.
• Suspicious transfers of ₦106 million and ₦913 million to an account controlled by Dualiang Pan.
• Unofficial foreign exchange dealings worth over ₦2 billion, allegedly conducted outside the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approved system.

The EFCC maintained that these activities violated multiple provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act 2015, the Money Laundering Act 2021, and the Foreign Exchange Monitoring Act 2004.

Battle for Bail

During Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC prosecutor Bilikisu Buhari-Bala opposed bail for the defendants, arguing that they were flight risks and key players in an extensive cybercrime syndicate. She pressed for an accelerated trial instead.

Defense counsels, however, pleaded for leniency. Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Emeka Okpoko, representing the first defendant, urged the court to grant his client bail on “liberal terms.” Similarly, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), who represented Audu, pushed for his client’s release under favorable conditions.

Despite the court’s decision to grant Audu bail, his freedom was short-lived as EFCC officials quickly stepped in to rearrest him, a move that hints at fresh charges or an ongoing investigation.

With the case now set for trial on May 2, all eyes remain on the EFCC and the fate of the alleged crypto fraud syndicate.