Nigeria Deports 51 Foreign Cybercrime Convicts, Mostly Chinese Nationals

The Federal Government has deported 51 foreign nationals convicted of cybercrime, internet fraud, and related financial offences in Lagos, following a joint operation led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that the latest batch — comprising 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian — marks the final phase of a large-scale deportation exercise, bringing the total number of foreigners convicted and deported in Lagos to 192.

Oyewale said the final group departed Nigeria on October 16, completing a series of deportations that began in August 2025.

“The deportation exercise followed the arrest and successful prosecution of 759 suspects during a major sting operation conducted by the EFCC on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos,” the statement read.

He added that the offenders were convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos for offences bordering on cybercrime, money laundering, and Ponzi scheme operations.

The first batch of 42 convicts, which included Chinese and Filipino nationals, was deported on August 15, with subsequent groups leaving in the following weeks.

According to Oyewale, the deported convicts came from China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste, and were repatriated between August and mid-October 2025 in accordance with court directives and immigration laws.

He disclosed that the deportees were arrested alongside their Nigerian collaborators, believed to be members of a sophisticated cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicate operating under the cover of Genting International Co. Limited.

“Investigations confirmed that the convicted foreigners were involved in large-scale online fraud, identity theft, and cyber-enabled Ponzi schemes. They trained recruits and managed fraudulent digital platforms used to defraud victims both locally and internationally,” Oyewale stated.

He added that the Nigeria Immigration Service carried out the deportations as ordered by the court, marking a significant step in the country’s ongoing fight against transnational cybercrime.

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