The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has deported 51 foreign nationals convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud by Nigerian courts.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the EFCC revealed that the latest batch of deportees included 50 Chinese citizens and one Tunisian. With this development, the total number of foreign offenders repatriated since Friday, August 15, 2025, has risen to 102.
According to the Commission, the deported convicts were among 192 foreign nationals apprehended during a large-scale sting operation in Lagos. The coordinated raid followed credible intelligence on the activities of what authorities described as one of the largest foreign-controlled cybercrime syndicates operating in Nigeria.
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The EFCC noted that further deportations are expected in the coming days as the joint crackdown continues.
The suspects were arrested on December 19, 2024, during the EFCC’s wide-ranging operation in Lagos codenamed Eagle Flush.
According to Sahara Reporters, a syndicate allegedly specialized in cryptocurrency investment scams and romance fraud schemes has reportedly defrauded hundreds of victims both in Nigeria and abroad.
The defendants were subsequently arraigned on separate counts bordering on cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, in line with the provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
Authorities disclosed that the operation, supported by intelligence-sharing with international law enforcement partners, exposed multiple cybercrime rings running from luxury apartments and technology hubs in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
Cyber-terrorism, one of the charges increasingly used in EFCC prosecutions, has been linked to activities aimed at destabilizing Nigeria’s digital economy and financial security.
Similarly, the Nigerian Immigration Service on Sunday deported 42 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted of cyber-terrorism and Ponzi scheme-related offences.
The NIS confirmed that the deportees represented the first batch of 192 convicts scheduled for repatriation that day.
They were part of 759 suspects apprehended on December 10, 2024, during a major raid on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
