Nigeria has deported over 100 foreigners in a sweeping crackdown on what authorities describe as one of the largest foreign-led cybercrime syndicates in the country’s history.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said on Thursday that 102 convicted foreign nationals had been repatriated in the last week, including 50 Chinese citizens. The deportations followed a sting operation in Lagos that saw 192 foreigners arrested, among them 148 Chinese nationals.
“This brings the total repatriated convicted foreign nationals to 102 in the ongoing exercise,” the EFCC said, confirming that those deported were found guilty of “cyberterrorism and internet fraud.”
The agency shared photos of the deportees on X (formerly Twitter), showing dozens of foreigners in masks and lined up with luggage at an airport. “Further deportations are scheduled in the coming days,” it added.
The crackdown codenamed Operation Eagle Flush was launched after the EFCC received “actionable intelligence” about foreign syndicates operating in Nigeria. It marks the second major sweep in less than a year. In December, nearly 800 suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipinos, were arrested in connection with romance scams and cryptocurrency fraud networks that allegedly involved collaboration between foreign groups and Nigerian recruits.
Nigeria has long battled cybercrime, with romance scams and online fraud ranking among the country’s most prevalent offences. The EFCC has raided several training hideouts for so-called “Yahoo Boys,” while international agencies, including the FBI, have linked Nigerian syndicates to cases abroad.
The agency has attributed the rise in cybercrime to unemployment, the lure of quick wealth, a sprawling informal economy, and weak regulatory oversight.
Global tech giants have also moved to counter Nigeria-linked scams. Last year, Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, said it had removed thousands of accounts and 5,700 Facebook groups promoting sextortion and fraud techniques.
Authorities continue to warn Nigerians and global internet users to remain alert to the evolving tactics of scammers, which often involve romance fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, and online blackmail.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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