The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on Sunday, deported 42 of the 192 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos of cyber terrorism and Ponzi scheme offences.
The 42 foreign nationals were the first group to be deported from Nigeria following their arraignment and conviction by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The deported persons were part of 759 people arrested by the EFCC during a major raid on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island in Lagos.
The other convicted foreigners were scheduled to leave Nigeria on Monday and Tuesday and will be airlifted back to their home countries.
All convicts have been turned over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for deportation.
The anti-graft agency had claimed that before the raid, the cybercrime syndicate had a large-scale operation involving cyberfraud and Ponzi schemes.
The charges against the convicts included using false identities online to defraud victims, training Genting International Co. Limited employees in fraudulent practices, and other offences under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006.
The EFCC had stated that these charges reflect serious crimes aimed at undermining Nigeria’s security and financial integrity through cybercrime and fraud.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede had described the convictions and deportations as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime and financial fraud.
He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to intensifying investigations, recovering looted funds, and restoring national dignity in line with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption agenda.
The December raid was one of Nigeria’s most significant and extensive cybercrime operations and signifies a turning point in the crackdown on transnational financial crimes.
