Precious Josiah
The Economic and Financials Crimes Commission(EFCC) in partnership with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) has concluded the deportation of 192 foreigners convicted and sentenced for Cyber-terrorism, internet fraud and other internet related crimes.
The process concluded recently with the deportation of the last batch of 51 foreigners, bringing to a close the long drawn deportation exercise which began on August 15, 2025, following the conviction of the offenders by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The offences bordered on cybercrimes, money laundering and ponzi schemes operations.
A statement by the EFCC, signed by Dele Oyewole, says the step was taken as a measure to check the menace of Internet crimes in Lagos and Nigerian at large.
The commission says the process of extradition was initiated following the successful prosecution of 759 cybercrimes suspects arrested during a major sting operation by the EFCC in December 2024 at Oyinlola Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island.
It said investigations, based on credible and actionable intelligence, confirmed that the convicted foreigners were involved in large-scale online fraud, identity theft, and cyber-enabled Ponzi schemes.
The EFCC noted that the convicts trained recruits and managed digital platforms to defraud local and international victims.
The Nigeria Immigration Service deported them as directed by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The first batch of 42 convicts comprising Chinese and Filipino nationals, was deported on August 15, 2025, the EFCC statement said.
The commission said subsequent batches followed through out August and September.
It says the final batch of 51 convicts including 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian, departed Nigeria on October 16, 2025, bringing the total number of repatriated foreigners to 192.
Final batch comprises of 51 convicts,50 Chinese Nationals,one Tunisian,this set departed Nigeria for their home countries on the 16th of October 2024 making the total figure’s of extradited foreigner’s to 197.
“The deported convicts include nationals of China, Phillipine, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timo-leste,” the statement said.
“They were deported in coordinated batches between August and mid October 2025 in accordance with court directives and immigrations procedures.”
The statement further noted that all the deported convicts bagged their imprisonments when they were arrested with their Nigerian accomplices believed to be members of a sophisticated crime and ponzi scheme syndicate operating under the cover of Genting International Co Limited.