The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has commenced the deportation of foreign nationals recently convicted for cybercrime-related offences, including cyberterrorism and Ponzi scheme operations.
On Sunday, 42 individuals—part of a larger group of 192 Chinese and Philippine nationals—were deported following their conviction by the Federal High Court in Lagos. Channels Television obtained images of the deportees at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, ahead of their departure.
The first batch left Nigeria at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time and is part of a broader crackdown stemming from a major raid carried out by the EFCC on December 10, 2024. The operation, conducted on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, led to the arrest of 759 suspects involved in a sophisticated cyber fraud syndicate.
According to the EFCC, the remaining convicted foreigners are scheduled for deportation on Monday and Tuesday. All 192 convicts—comprised of Chinese and Philippine nationals—have been formally handed over to the NIS to facilitate their repatriation.
The syndicate was found to have operated a large-scale cybercrime network, involving online identity theft, fraudulent training of employees under the company name Genting International Co. Limited, and other violations under Nigeria’s Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The EFCC disclosed that the charges reflected serious national security threats and financial crimes targeting both Nigerian and international victims. Following a plea bargain, the convicts were sentenced and ordered to be deported upon completion of their jail terms.
EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, hailed the convictions and subsequent deportations as a significant victory in Nigeria’s ongoing war against cybercrime and financial fraud. He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to intensifying investigations, recovering illicit assets, and upholding the country’s integrity—aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption mandate.
The December 2024 raid remains one of the most extensive anti-cybercrime operations in Nigeria’s history, signaling a stronger stance against transnational financial crimes.
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