The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has deported 42 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted of cyber terrorism and Ponzi scheme offences by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The group, deported on Sunday, forms the first batch of 192 foreigners found guilty after prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They were among 759 individuals 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 batches scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
The EFCC said the syndicate had been operating large-scale cyberfraud and Ponzi schemes prior to its dismantling. The charges included identity theft, running fraudulent online platforms, and training employees of Genting International Co. Limited in illegal practices, all in violation of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, described the deportations as a “landmark step” in Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign. He emphasized that the crackdown reflects the government’s determination to curb cybercrime, recover stolen assets, and strengthen national financial security in line with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption agenda.
The December raid has been described as one of Nigeria’s most sweeping cybercrime busts, underscoring the country’s heightened resolve to dismantle transnational fraud networks.
