The Nigerian Immigration Service has deported 42 foreign nationals from China and the Philippines who were convicted of cyber fraud and Ponzi scheme-related offences.
The Federal High Court in Lagos had sentenced each of the convicts to one year in prison following plea bargain agreements with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
In addition to the prison terms, the court imposed a fine of ₦1 million on each individual.
According to Premium Times, the first group of deportees left Lagos at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Additional deportations are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
The EFCC confirmed that the syndicate had been running an international cyber fraud and Ponzi scheme before being dismantled in a coordinated operation. After the court’s verdict, the convicts were handed over to the NIS for immediate deportation.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the development as a major success in Nigeria’s anti-cybercrime campaign. “A milestone in Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime,” he said, while affirming the Commission’s commitment to intensifying investigations, recovering stolen funds, and restoring Nigeria’s reputation in line with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption initiative.
The convictions stemmed from a large-scale raid conducted in December 2024 on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. That operation resulted in the arrest of 759 individuals, including Nigerians, Chinese, Arabs, and Filipinos.
Recently, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of $222,729.86 worth of digital assets (USDT) linked to some of the convicted Chinese nationals. The ruling, delivered by Justice Alexander Owoeye on July 18, followed an ex parte application by EFCC counsel Zeenat Atiku. The court held that the assets were proceeds of cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
Documents submitted to the court revealed that the syndicate operated through Genting International Co. Limited, a Nigerian-registered company with a Union Bank account that saw inflows of over ₦2.26 billion between April and December 2024. EFCC investigators traced much of the movement of funds to cryptocurrency vendors.
The December 2024 raid—considered one of the largest anti-cybercrime crackdowns in Nigeria—led to the arrest of 792 suspects from multiple nationalities at a seven-storey structure known as Big Leaf Building on Oyin Jolayemi Street.
EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed the details during a press briefing on December 16, 2024. Representing the EFCC Chairman, Uwujaren said the building had been disguised to appear as a legitimate corporate facility but was, in fact, used for training Nigerians in online investment and romance scams.
“The foreign nationals trained their Nigerian recruits to target victims online using fake identities across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram,” he said.
He further explained that one floor in the building housed over 500 SIM cards from local telecom providers. Each Nigerian trainee was equipped with a desktop computer, mobile device, and scripts using foreign identities—typically posing as women—to lure victims into fake romantic relationships or fraudulent investment platforms.
Contrary to widespread belief, the EFCC noted that many of the large-scale cybercrime networks associated with Nigeria are actually orchestrated by foreign nationals exploiting the country’s global image.
“Foreigners are taking advantage of our unfortunate image to conceal their operations. But this operation proves that Nigeria will not remain a haven for international fraudsters,” he said.
Speaking at the same briefing, Michael Wetkas, Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Directorate, called on the media to support efforts in combating financial and economic crimes. Items seized during the operation included desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, and vehicles.
