The last 51 foreign people who were convicted and jailed for cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and other financial crimes in Lagos have been sent back to their home countries.
Channels TV says that this ends the successful return of the 192 foreigners who were involved in the crimes.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) all worked together on it.
The expulsion happened during a sting operation on December 10, 2024, on Oyin Jolayemi Street in Victoria Island, Lagos. The EFCC got reliable information about one of the biggest foreign-led cybercrime and Ponzi scheme groups in Nigeria and arrested 759 people.
The Federal High Court in Lagos found the 192 foreign nationals guilty of crimes under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 after months of investigation and prosecution. The judge also told them to leave the country after they had served their time in prison.
The deportees included Chinese, Filipino, Tunisian, Malaysian, Timor-Leste, Pakistani, and Kyrgyz nationals. They were flown in groups by several flights between mid-August and mid-October 2025.
The large-scale repatriation exercise started on August 15, 2025, and the successful deportation of the last group of convicts marks the end of one of Nigeria’s biggest efforts to stop transnational cybercrime in recent years.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said in an official statement that the expulsion was “a strong statement of Nigeria’s resolve to rid its cyberspace of transnational criminal networks.”
“This milestone shows how serious we are about keeping Nigeria’s digital and financial systems safe. Olukoyede added, “Under my leadership, the EFCC will continue to act quickly on intelligence, prosecute criminals, and get back money that was stolen in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive.”
The EFCC Chairman also praised the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Service for working together without any problems during the operation. He said that this cooperation made sure that all of the offenders were kept safe, prosecuted, and eventually sent back to their home countries.
The EFCC’s deportation records show that the first group of 42 prisoners, made up of Chinese and Filipino nationals, left Nigeria on August 15, 2025. This was followed by several more flights in August and September.
On October 16, 2025, the last group of 51 convicts, 50 of whom were Chinese nationals and one of whom was Tunisian, was sent back to their home country. This brought the total number of deported people to 192.
The Commission revealed that the deported criminals were involved in a wide range of cyber fraud activities, including as stealing people’s identities, running online romance scams, Ponzi investment schemes, and providing digital training for cybercrime operations under the guise of a company called Genting International Co. Limited.
The EFCC said that the group’s actions were a major threat to Nigeria’s national security and financial stability. They also said that the digital devices and servers that were seized during the operation were very important pieces of evidence in the case.
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