•The repatriated convicts
The deportation of the remaining 51 foreign nationals convicted and sentenced for cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and related financial crimes in Lagos has been completed.
This brings the repatriation of the 192 foreigners involved in the crimes to a successful close, reports Channels TV.
It was conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
The deportation followed a sting raid on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where 759 suspects were apprehended after the EFCC received actionable intelligence exposing one of the largest foreign-led cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicates operating in Nigeria.
After months of investigation and prosecution, the 192 foreign nationals were convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. The court also ordered their deportation upon completion of their prison terms.
The deportees, comprising Chinese, Filipino, Tunisian, Malaysian, Timor-Leste, Pakistani, and Kyrgyz nationals, were airlifted in coordinated batches between mid-August and mid-October 2025 through multiple airlines.
The large-scale repatriation exercise began on August 15, 2025, and the successful deportation of the last batch of convicts marks the conclusion of one of Nigeria’s biggest transnational cybercrime crackdowns in recent years.
In an official statement, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the deportation as “a strong statement of Nigeria’s resolve to rid its cyberspace of transnational criminal networks.”
“This milestone underscores our commitment to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystem. The EFCC, under my leadership, will continue to act swiftly on intelligence, prosecute offenders, and recover proceeds of crime in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive,” Olukoyede said.
The EFCC Chairman also commended the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Service for their seamless cooperation during the exercise, noting that the inter-agency collaboration ensured the safe custody, prosecution, and eventual repatriation of all convicts.
According to the EFCC’s deportation records, the first batch of 42 convicts, comprising Chinese and Filipino nationals, departed Nigeria on August 15, 2025, followed by several subsequent flights throughout August and September.
The final batch of 51 convicts, including 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian, was repatriated on October 16, 2025, bringing the total number deported to 192.
The Commission confirmed that the deported convicts were involved in a wide range of cyber fraud activities, including identity theft, online romance scams, Ponzi investment schemes, and digital training for cybercrime operations under the cover of a company, Genting International Co. Limited.
The EFCC noted that the syndicate’s activities posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s national security and financial integrity, adding that recovered digital devices and servers from the raid provided critical evidence during prosecution.
