The federal government has deported 42 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted of cybercrime and Ponzi schemes.
The federal government has deported 42 Chinese and Philippine nationals convicted of cybercrime and Ponzi schemes. The deportation, carried out Sunday by the Nigerian Immigration Service in partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), followed a plea bargain arrangement after the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court sentenced the convicts to one year in prison and imposed a N1 million fine each.
The convictions stemmed from a December 2024 raid on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where 759 suspects—including Nigerians, Arabs, Chinese, and Filipinos—were arrested. Channels TV reported that the first batch of deportees departed Nigeria around 2:00 p.m. Sunday, while more will leave Monday and Tuesday.
The EFCC said a total of 192 foreigners were convicted in the scam, which involved fake online identities, fraudulent training schemes, and other offences under the Advance Fee Fraud Act. EFCC Chairman Ola Olukeyede hailed the deportations as “a milestone in Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime and financial fraud.”
READ MORE AT THE PEOPLE GAZETTE