Cybercrime Crackdown: EFCC, NIS, NCoS Deport 192 Foreign Offenders

Foreign nationals deported for cyberterrorism, internet fraud, and related financial crimes from Nigeria

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 in Nigeria for cyberterrorism, internet fraud, and related financial crimes.

In a statement published on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, @officialEFCC, on Sunday, the Commission announced that the final batch of 51 convicts had been repatriated, marking the conclusion of a months-long deportation exercise.

The exercise followed the arrest and successful prosecution of 759 suspects during a large-scale sting operation conducted by the EFCC on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Of those arrested, 192 foreign nationals were convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos on charges including cybercrime, money laundering, and operating fraudulent Ponzi schemes.

The deportation process began on Friday, August 15, 2025, with the first batch of 42 convicts,comprising Chinese and Filipino nationals removed from the country.

Subsequent batches followed through August and September.

On October 16, 2025, the final group, consisting of 51 individuals (50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian), departed Nigeria. This brought the total number of deported convicts to 192.

The foreign nationals deported include citizens of China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste. Their deportation was carried out in compliance with court orders and in accordance with standard immigration procedures.

All deported individuals were convicted alongside Nigerian accomplices, who were identified as part of a sophisticated cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicate operating under the cover of Genting International Co. Limited.

Investigations based on credible intelligence revealed that the convicted foreigners were involved in extensive online fraud, identity theft, and the orchestration of cyber-enabled Ponzi schemes.

They were found to have trained local recruits and managed fraudulent digital platforms designed to defraud victims both within and outside Nigeria.

The Nigeria Immigration Service carried out the deportations as directed by the courts, bringing to a close one of the most extensive cybercrime crackdowns in Nigeria’s recent history.