The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has completed the deportation of 192 foreign nationals convicted for cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and other financial crimes in Lagos.
The final batch of 51 convicts, including 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian, was deported on October 16, 2025, marking the conclusion of a large-scale repatriation exercise that began in August 2025. According to the EFCC, the deported individuals had been convicted and sentenced by the Federal High Court in Lagos for offences related to cybercrime, money laundering, and Ponzi scheme operations.
The deportation followed a sweeping sting operation carried out on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, which led to the arrest of 759 suspects. The operation exposed what the EFCC described as “a sophisticated transnational cybercrime network” involving both foreign and Nigerian nationals.
The first group of 42 convicts—comprising Chinese and Filipino citizens—was deported on August 15, 2025, with subsequent batches following through August and September. The coordinated repatriation involved citizens from China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste.
Investigations revealed that the convicts were part of a syndicate operating under the cover of Genting International Co. Limited, a front company used to coordinate online fraud and Ponzi schemes. According to officials, digital evidence showed that the group engaged in large-scale identity theft, cyber-enabled financial scams, and money laundering, defrauding victims in Nigeria and abroad.
“The operation was based on credible and actionable intelligence,” EFCC sources said, noting that the syndicate also trained recruits to manage fraudulent digital platforms designed to lure unsuspecting investors.
The Nigeria Immigration Service carried out the deportations in line with court directives and existing immigration procedures, ensuring that each convict served their sentence before removal from the country.
The EFCC described the joint effort with NIS and NCoS as a “milestone in Nigeria’s fight against international cybercrime,” reaffirming the government’s zero-tolerance stance toward digital fraud networks operating within its borders.
With the completion of the deportation, Nigerian authorities say they will now intensify collaboration with Interpol and other global law enforcement bodies to track down fugitive accomplices and dismantle remaining cybercrime networks operating across borders.
