Wale Igbintade

The Nigerian Immigration Service will today (Sunday) deport 42 out of the 192 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted for cyber terrorism and Ponzi scheme offences back to their home countries.

The first batch of deportees, scheduled to leave Nigeria at exactly 2:00 p.m. local time, were among 759 persons arrested during a major raid on December 10, 2023, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Other deportees will depart Nigeria on Monday and Tuesday respectively and will be airlifted back to their countries.

All the convicts have been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for deportation.

The syndicate had been operating a large-scale cyber fraud and Ponzi scheme before being rounded up in a joint operation.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prosecuted the cases, a total of 192 foreigners—comprising Chinese and Philippine nationals—were convicted in connection with the scam.

Several of the charges included allegations of using fake identities online to defraud victims, training employees of Genting International Co. Limited in fraudulent practices, and other offences under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

The EFCC explained that the charges highlighted serious crimes aimed at undermining Nigeria’s security and financial integrity through cybercrime and fraudulent activities.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, described the convictions and deportations as a milestone in Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime and financial fraud.

He reiterated the Commission’s resolve to intensify investigations, recover looted funds, and restore national dignity in line with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive.

The December raid, considered one of the largest anti-cybercrime operations in Nigeria, marked a turning point in the crackdown on transnational financial crimes.

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