The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned four Chinese nationals and one Nigerian in Abuja for allegedly running a hotel review scam. The suspects, Liu Zhiwei, Chen Ye Qui, Zhang Xiao Wen, Lan Shun Bin, and Nwakama Chinyere Ogbonna, were charged with conspiracy, cheating, and impersonation.
According to the charges, the suspects used fake profiles and pictures to promote hotels in London as five-star hotels, charging unsuspecting victims $5 for the service. They allegedly committed these offenses in December 2024 in Abuja. The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges, and their defense counsel, Yahaya Dangana, applied for bail.
The prosecution counsel, Maryam Aminu Ahmed, requested that the court fix a trial date and remand the suspects in a correctional center. Justice Aliyu Halilu adjourned the matter until March 27, 2025, for a hearing on the bail applications. In the meantime, the Chinese suspects will be remanded in Kuje Correctional Center, while Nwakama Chinyere Ogbonna will be held in Suleja Correctional Center.
This arrest is part of a larger crackdown on internet fraud in Nigeria. The EFCC had previously arrested 105 suspects, including the five arraigned, in a business apartment in Abuja for their alleged involvement in hotel review scams targeting victims and hotels in Europe and other parts of the world.
