The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has deported the final batch of 51 foreign nationals convicted of various cyber-enabled financial crimes in Lagos.

According to a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the 51 deportees—comprising 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian—were part of a syndicate convicted for offences including cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, money laundering, and operating Ponzi schemes.

Their deportation on October 16 marks the conclusion of a large-scale exercise that saw a total of 192 foreign nationals deported between August and mid-October 2025. The convicts, who were prosecuted and sentenced by the Federal High Court in Lagos, had been arrested during a coordinated sting operation by the EFCC on December 10, 2024, at a property on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island.

“The operation was based on actionable intelligence and led to the arrest of 759 suspects,” Oyewale said. “Subsequent investigations revealed the involvement of foreign nationals in a sophisticated cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicate operating under the cover of Genting International Co. Limited.”

The initial batch of 42 convicts—consisting of Chinese and Filipino nationals—was deported on August 15. Several other batches followed through August and September, involving individuals from the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste.

EFCC investigations confirmed that the deported individuals were engaged in large-scale online fraud, identity theft, and the management of fraudulent digital platforms targeting victims both in Nigeria and abroad. They were also found to be training local recruits to sustain their operations.

All deportations were carried out in line with court directives and immigration protocols.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service acted on the court’s orders to ensure the proper deportation of all convicted foreign nationals,” the EFCC spokesperson added.

This development underscores Nigeria’s continued efforts to combat cybercrime and financial fraud, especially involving international syndicates operating within its borders.