The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in partnership with the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Service, has successfully deported 192 foreign nationals convicted of cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and associated financial crimes in Lagos. The final batch of 51 criminals was repatriated on October 16, 2025, marking the end of the large-scale deportation operation.
In a statement shared on its X handle on Saturday, the EFCC announced that the deportations followed the arrest and prosecution of 759 suspects during a major sting operation conducted on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The agency said all those deported were convicted by the Federal High Court for offenses such as cybercrime, money laundering, and running Ponzi schemes.
According to the EFCC, the first batch of 42 convicts—comprising Chinese and Filipino nationals—was deported on August 15, 2025, with subsequent batches sent out through August and September. The final group, consisting of 51 individuals (50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian), left Nigeria on October 16, 2025, bringing the total number of repatriated foreigners to 192.
The commission stated that the deported individuals included citizens of China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste. Their deportation, carried out in coordinated phases between August and mid-October 2025, followed court directives and established immigration procedures. All had been convicted alongside their Nigerian collaborators, who were allegedly part of a sophisticated cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicate operating under the name Genting International Co. Limited.
EFCC explained that the operation was based on credible intelligence and extensive investigations, which confirmed that the convicted foreigners were involved in large-scale online fraud, identity theft, and cyber-enabled Ponzi schemes. “Evidence showed that they trained recruits and managed fraudulent digital platforms targeting victims both locally and internationally,” the agency stated, adding that the Nigeria Immigration Service carried out the deportations as ordered by the court.