The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced the deportation of no fewer than 192 foreign nationals convicted of internet fraud in the country.
The first batch of 42 convicts was airlifted on Sunday, while more deportations are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, PLATFORM TIMES gathered.
The development followed a December 2024 operation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which led to the arrest of 792 suspected members of a cybercrime syndicate in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The syndicate, made up largely of foreigners, was said to have converted a seven-storey building into a training centre where Nigerians were tutored on how to execute romance and cryptocurrency scams.
Among those arrested were 114 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two Kazakhstani citizens, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian. The EFCC had described the raid as the largest single-day crackdown on internet fraudsters in Nigeria’s history.
Many of the suspects were later arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos, and in June 2025, several of them were convicted for their roles in cyber fraud and cyber-terrorism.
The court also directed the Comptroller-General of Immigration to ensure their deportation within seven days of completing their jail terms.
In July, the EFCC secured a final forfeiture order for digital assets worth $222,729 traced to some of the convicted Chinese nationals.
Speaking on the deportation exercise, an immigration source said the move was in line with the government’s resolve to rid Nigeria of transnational criminal networks exploiting its cyber space.
“This is the beginning of a phased repatriation. The operation will continue until all convicted foreign nationals are returned to their respective countries,” the source said..
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