Nigeria deports 42 Chinese, Philippine nationals convicted of fraud

The federal government of Nigeria has begun the deportation of 42 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted of cybercrime.

The deportation was carried out on Sunday by the Nigerian Immigration Service in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This came after the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court sentenced the foreign nationals to one-year imprisonment each, but they entered a plea bargain agreement with the EFCC.

The court also slammed a fine of N1 million on each convict.

The conviction followed the December 10, 2024, raid on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, during which 759 persons were arrested, including Nigerians, Chinese, Arabs, and Filipinos.

According to Channels TV, the first batch of deportees left Nigeria at about 2:00 p.m. local time on Sunday.

The deportees are part of a larger group of 759 persons arrested by the anti-graft agency for cybercrime and Ponzi schemes in the country.

The commission confirmed that others earlier convicted by the court would depart Nigeria by Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and would be airlifted back to their countries.

The foreigners had been operating a large-scale cybercrime and Ponzi scheme before being rounded up by the security agencies in a joint operation.

A total of 192 foreigners, including Chinese and Philippine nationals, were convicted in connection with the scam, according to the EFCC.

The charges against the convicted persons 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.

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