EFCC declares Chinese national, Ji Zhou, wanted for cybercrime, impersonation

DDM News

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially declared a Chinese national, Ji Zhou, wanted over serious allegations bordering on cybercrime and impersonation.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the Commission made this announcement on Thursday, July 18, 2025, via a public notice posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) platform.

The declaration was signed by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, who disclosed that Ji Zhou is 36 years old and is being sought for criminal acts involving the use of cyberspace for unlawful activities and falsely assuming the identity of others.

According to the EFCC’s statement, the fugitive’s last known address was traced to Uguwan Mai Keke in Kafanchan, a town within the Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The agency has appealed to members of the public, especially residents within and around the Kaduna area, to provide useful and verifiable information that may assist in locating and apprehending the suspect.

The EFCC emphasized that any information regarding the whereabouts of Ji Zhou should be immediately reported to its nearest zonal offices or any nearby police station or security agency.

The Commission listed several cities where their offices are available for direct contact. These include Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Gombe, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Enugu, Ilorin, Uyo, Makurdi, and Benin.

No specific details were released about the particular cybercrimes or impersonation schemes that Ji Zhou allegedly carried out, but the EFCC assured that the case falls under Nigeria’s existing laws against electronic fraud and identity falsification.

The Commission further noted that the suspect is believed to have collaborated with other unnamed individuals in the execution of the alleged crimes.

This latest development underscores the EFCC’s renewed drive to tackle the growing menace of cybercriminal activities, particularly those perpetrated by foreign nationals within Nigerian borders.

In recent years, Nigeria has recorded a significant rise in cyber-related offenses, prompting the anti-graft agency to broaden its scope and strengthen its surveillance over both domestic and international suspects.

The involvement of a Chinese citizen in such a case has also raised new concerns about transnational cybercrime networks operating in Nigeria.

Officials have warned that criminals, both local and foreign, are increasingly exploiting loopholes in Nigeria’s digital and telecommunications landscape to defraud individuals and institutions.

EFCC reiterated its commitment to transparency and public collaboration in achieving its mandate of combating economic and financial crimes.

It also reaffirmed that any citizen who aids or abets a wanted suspect may be treated as an accomplice under Nigerian law.

The agency concluded its statement by assuring Nigerians that the search for Ji Zhou will be relentless and that justice will be served according to the dictates of the law.

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