By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigerian government has commenced the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of cyber-related offences, marking a major step in its crackdown on transnational fraud networks.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced that the first batch of 42 Chinese and Philippine citizens, out of a total of 192 convicts, would be deported on Sunday, August 18. The remaining batches are scheduled to be airlifted on Monday and Tuesday to conclude the repatriation process.
The convicts were among 759 suspects arrested during a large-scale joint security raid on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The syndicate had been accused of running extensive cyber fraud operations and Ponzi schemes, using fake online identities and training recruits under a company named Genting International Co. Limited.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prosecuted the cases, all 192 foreigners were convicted under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. The EFCC stressed that the crimes posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s financial system and national security.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the convictions and subsequent deportations as a milestone in the nation’s anti-corruption campaign. He reaffirmed the Commission’s determination to “intensify investigations, recover looted funds, and restore national dignity” in line with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption agenda.
The December 2024 operation, considered one of the most extensive anti-cybercrime raids in Nigeria’s history, has been hailed as a turning point in efforts to dismantle international fraud rings operating within the country.
