The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on Sunday deported 42 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted of cyber terrorism and Ponzi scheme offences by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The deportees were the first batch of 192 foreign nationals found guilty after their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They were among 759 persons arrested during a major raid on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to the NIS, the remaining convicted foreigners will be deported in phases, with subsequent groups scheduled to leave Nigeria on Monday and Tuesday.
The EFCC said the syndicate had been running large-scale cyberfraud and Ponzi operations before its dismantling. Charges brought against the convicts included identity theft, fraudulent online schemes, and training staff of Genting International Co. Limited in illicit practices, all in violation of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, hailed the deportations as a landmark step in Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive. He stressed that the crackdown reinforces the country’s determination to curb cybercrime, recover stolen funds, and safeguard national financial security in line with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption agenda.
The December raid is described as one of Nigeria’s most sweeping cybercrime busts, marking a turning point in efforts to combat transnational financial fraud networks.