The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has begun deporting 192 foreign nationals convicted of cybercrime and Ponzi scheme offences.
The first batch, comprising 42 Chinese and Filipino citizens, was flown out through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The remaining 150 are scheduled to leave today and Tuesday.
A Federal High Court in Lagos had sentenced the 42 to one year in prison after they entered plea bargain agreements with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Each convict was also fined ₦1 million and ordered to be repatriated within seven days of completing their jail term.
The EFCC arrested the group, along with about 600 Nigerians, during a December 2024 raid on a Victoria Island building, where the foreigners were allegedly training locals in romance and investment scams. Court records show their company, Genting International Co. Limited, received over ₦2.26 billion between April and December 2024. Digital assets worth $222,729 were also forfeited.
According to investigators, the syndicate recruited Nigerians with strong computer skills, trained them for 14 days, and then took over fraudulent schemes once contact with victims was established. The Nigerians were paid in cash or via third-party accounts, without formal employment records.
The EFCC described the convictions as a major step in safeguarding Nigeria’s financial system from international cybercrime syndicates.