*Affirms HURIWA’s allegations on underhand deals
The family of Friday Audu, have disclaimed statements credited to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that a Chinese business man, reportedly charged to court by EFCC is not the person fingered by Friday Audu on a fraud.
Following a recent media briefing by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), picking holes on the detention of Friday at the federal Correctional Center Ikoyi following his prosecution by the EFCC for alleged Cybercrime and money laundering charges, which led the pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group which had accusing the anti-graft agency of engaging in underhand tactics in the matter, the EFCC has responded to the allegations, debunking the accusations and stating that Friday Audu’s detention is at the instance of a competent court of law.
The EFCC also said that it has charged the alleged Chinese national kingpin to court contrary to claims by the Audu family and HURIWA that it allowed the main syndicate culprits to walk freely whereas Friday Audu is being vigorously prosecuted by the EFCC.
However, the EFCC in a statement stated that it had pressed charges against the Chinese national but the assertion was contradicted by the Friday Audu’s family, who claimed that the Chinese man reportedly charged to court by the EFCC is not the suspect that their son, Friday, complained of and who is known to Friday.
“The Family of Friday Audu strongly states that the person reportedly charged by the EFCC as indicated in the EFCC’S written statement to HURIWA is not known to Friday Audu and is not the specific Chinese national that Friday Audu related with and complained about.
The family had said: “The one and only Chinese person he (Friday) knows is called Haoyu Huang. Whoever they claimed to have charged to court who is listed as their alleged syndicate is not known to Friday.
“They should contradict us on their claims that they arrested him in Lagos on December 10, during their so-called Operation Eagle Flush raid, and they should also disprove our position that he (Friday) doesn’t know anyone among the 792 gang syndicate charged to court in any manner whatsoever, either through direct contact, indirect contact or through a proxy.
“We stand by our claims that Friday Audu is being roped in on a matter he knows nothing about as far as those 792-member syndicate apprehended by EFCC in Lagos are concerned”.
According to Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA on a state, “The EFCC told HURIWA that the charges at both the Federal and Lagos state High courts were not duplications but were necessitated by the provisions of extant laws based on the alleged offences which bordered on alleged Federal and state Crimes.
“But Friday Audu has vehemently denied those allegations.
“The EFCC top official who spoke to HURIWA on condition of anonymity insists that the commission has followed the due process of the law.
“The officer then forwarded the statement circulated to media to demonstrate that some main kingpins of the scam for which Friday Audu is being prosecuted, are already charged before a competent court of law”.
Based on statement by the EFCC, the Chinese National, Li Kuang Kuang, arraigned before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a one-count charge of alleged cybercrime, on Thursday, May 15, 2025, is not the Haoyu Huang, fingered by Friday Audi.
The defendant, Li Kuang Kuang, is but one of the syndicate comprising of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects arrested on December 19, 2024, in Lagos, during a sting operation tagged ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ conducted by EFCC operatives, and not the person fingered by Friday Audi.
Based on the evidence before the Lagos court, EFCCc had stated that “Friday Audu incorporated Genting Ltd., the 4th defendant. He sourced for the company directors. He opened the account of Genting Ltd , which received over 3.4 billion naira illicit funds. He nominated himself as the sole signatory to the said account.”
