Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismantled a fake hotel review syndicate and arrested four Chinese nationals and 101 Nigerians for their roles in the elaborate internet fraud scheme.

Victims were allegedly first lured into rating hotels in exchange for small sums of money.

Eventually they would be encouraged to make bookings in any of the rated hotels for as much as $500.

They were told that the company would pay them back with chunky interest into a crypto wallet bearing their names.

However, the victims would in the end not be able to open the wallet.

EFCC announced that the suspects operated out of Naka Hall Plaza on Abutu Garba Street in Gudu, Abuja, where agents recovered 100 compact workstations.

Dele Oyewale, spokesman, EFCC, said the suspects used fake foreign identities to target unsuspecting victims, primarily U.K. residents.

Authorities said the criminal network was allegedly led by the Chinese nationals, who recruited and trained Nigerian youths with advanced technical skills to act as customer service representatives.

These representatives followed a predesigned script to deceive their victims online.

The operation follows a separate crackdown weeks earlier, in which 792 suspects — including 148 Chinese nationals — were arrested for involvement in cryptocurrency and romance scams.

The foreign nationals allegedly used corporate apartments disguised as business centers to train their Nigerian accomplices. These accomplices were reportedly taught to initiate romance and investment scams and use their own identities to carry out fraudulent activities.

The EFCC also highlighted a concerning trend of foreign nationals instructing Nigerians in internet-related crimes.

The African Development Bank (AfDB), has disclosed plans to work with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), to boost the state’s transport system with the development of another rail line.

This was contained in a statement signed by, the Head, Corporate Communication, LAMATA, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi in Lagos.

Ojelabi said that the AfDB Vice President, Private Sector Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Mr. Solomon Quaynor, gave the assurance during a visit to LAMATA.

He added that the bank was interested in partnering LAMATA to expand the capacity of the existing rail system.

“Quaynor was also in the company of the Non-Sovereign Operations and Private Sector Equity Specialist, Mr Mayowa Ayodele ahead of a visit of the technical team to assess the Purple line,” he said.

The Purple Line is a 60-kilometre railroad along the Redemption Camp in Ogun State, traversing Berger, Agege and Alimosho and terminate at Volkswagen to join the Blue Line.

“The visit follows a recent pitch for investment on 60-kilometre Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Purple Line at the African Development Bank forum in Morocco, where the Lagos delegation was led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“This is to further discuss collaboration on the project and other lines outlined in the Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan. The delegation toured the LRMT Blue Line and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Blue Line rail system,” he said.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian government the 36 states over the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024.

SERAP is arguing that “the repressive use of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 by the government to criminalize legitimate expression violate the human rights of Nigerians, including activists, journalists, bloggers and social media users”.

In a statement on Sunday, Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP, explained that the suit was filed to stop the Tinubu administration and Nigeria’s 36 governors from using the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 to criminalize legitimate expression and punish Nigerians, including social media users.

He said: “Rather than using the amended legislation to make cyberspace and its users safer, Nigerian authorities are routinely weaponizing it to curb Nigerians’ human rights and media freedom.

“The suit no: ECW/CCJ/APP/03/2025 was filed last week before the ECOWAS Court in Abuja.”

Recall that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court had on March 25, 2022, declared Section 24 of Nigeria’s original Cybercrimes Act 2015 as “arbitrary, vague, and repressive.”

The court ordered Nigeria to repeal the provision, citing non-compliance with human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Although the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 repealed Section 24, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) argues that the reworded provisions still infringe upon freedom of expression and information.

SERAP’s concerns center around the ambiguity of “causing a breakdown of law and order” in Section 24(1)(b), which they believe threatens peaceful and legitimate expression and leaves room for abuse.

SERAP highlighted several instances where the law was allegedly misused to target government critics, including activist Dele Farotimi, journalist Agba Jalingo, and social media user Chioma Okoli.

The organization emphasized that the amended legislation has a chilling effect on human rights and media freedom.

SERAP stressed that the amended Act contravenes international human rights law, which requires restrictions on freedom of expression to serve a legitimate purpose and be strictly proportionate.

The organization seeks a declaration that Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 is unlawful and an order directing the government to repeal or amend the legislation in compliance with international standards.

However, a hearing date has not been set for the suit.