The Nigerian Immigration Service, in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has commenced the deportation of foreign nationals recently convicted for cyber terrorism and Ponzi scheme offences.
On Sunday, 42 of the 192 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos were deported to their home countries. Channels Television obtained photographs of the deportees at Lagos airport before their departure. The first batch left Nigeria at about 2:00 p.m. local time.
The EFCC said the deportees are part of a wider group of 759 individuals arrested during a major raid on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, on 10 December 2024. The Commission confirmed that other convicted foreigners would be deported on Monday and Tuesday, having already been handed over to the Immigration Service.
According to the EFCC, the syndicate had operated a large-scale cyber fraud and Ponzi scheme before their arrest. The 192 convicted foreigners were found guilty of using fake online identities to defraud victims, training employees of Genting International Co. Limited in fraudulent practices, and committing other offences under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Following plea bargain agreements, the court ordered their deportation after serving their prison terms.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, described the convictions and deportations as a milestone in Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime and financial fraud. He pledged that the Commission would intensify investigations, recover looted funds, and restore national dignity in line with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption agenda.
The December raid, one of the largest anti-cybercrime operations in Nigeria’s history, marked a significant step in the country’s crackdown on transnational financial crimes.
