Nigeria Deports 42 Chinese, Philippine Nationals over Cybercrime, Ponzi Schemes

N Nigeria has commenced the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of cybercrime and Ponzi scheme-related offences, with 42 out of 192 Chinese and Philippine suspects already repatriated, authorities confirmed.



The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that the mass deportation follows the bust of an international cybercrime syndicate uncovered during a December 2024 raid in Lagos. The raid led to nearly 800 arrests, including Nigerians, Chinese, Filipinos, and other foreign nationals linked to the network.



According to investigators, the syndicate specialized in laundering illicit funds through cryptocurrency vendors while recruiting and training Nigerian operatives to impersonate foreign identities. Many of the recruits reportedly posed as women to defraud unsuspecting victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several European countries.



EFCC operatives also recovered about 500 SIM cards from one of the buildings searched during the operation, highlighting the scale and sophistication of the cybercrime ring.



Authorities said deportations would continue in batches until all convicted foreign nationals are repatriated to their home countries.