Nigeria has announced the deportation of another round of foreign nationals convicted of crimes ranging from cyber-terrorism to internet fraud. According to the country’s anti-corruption agency, the deported criminals consisted of 102 foreign nationals, including 60 Chinese and 39 Filipinos.
According to the announcement by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the deported foreign nationals were part of the criminals convicted by a federal high court in June. As previously reported by Cryptopolitan, the criminals were apprehended after the anti-graft agency dismantled their operational base in December 2024, capping off a successful investigation that had gone on for months.
The agency mentioned that the criminals carried out their operations out of a building located at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos. The EFCC also noted at the time that over 700 suspects tied to the illicit operations were apprehended, noting that they would undergo processing, serve their terms, and be deported to their countries of origin.
Nigeria deports foreign nationals convicted in investment scams
According to the Nigerian agency, the move to deport the criminals comes as efforts are being stepped up across the country to crack down on online scam operations, which have seen victims lose funds to fake cryptocurrency investments. According to reports, there has been an increase in crypto-related scams in Nigeria, with the scammers preying on the high illiteracy rate to carry out their activities.
A typical example is the Crypto Bridge Exchange ( CBEX ) investment scheme, which promised users rewards for their investments. However, all hell broke loose earlier this year after it was discovered that the investment scheme was a scam, leaving users scrambling to save what was left of their funds to no avail. The revelation led to several damages, including financial and psychological, with most victims resorting to suicide after losing their entire savings to the scheme.
Speaking to several news agencies, Dele Oyewale, the spokesman of the EFCC, mentioned that they had carried out a first deportation that had gone under the radar prior. He added that the deportation happened on August 15, involving a group of 39 Filipinos, 10 Chinese, and two people from Kazakhstan. Oyewale noted that this isn’t the last of the deportations, as more are expected to happen in the coming days.
The Nigerian agency released the pictures of several men and women in a straight line at the airport waiting to be checked before they get on flights. The men, clearly Asian, wore surgical masks to protect their identities.
EFCC steps up efforts to curb criminal activities
Nigeria, which is currently the most populous country in Africa, has witnessed a rapid rise in internet fraud. The menace, known by its local slang as “Yahoo,” was named after yahoo.com, the early mail messaging platform. According to the EFCC, they have stepped up their efforts to ensure these activities are being curbed, busting several hideouts where the young populations are being taught these online scamming skills.
According to the EFCC, foreign gangs often recruit young Nigerian accomplices, luring them with promises of big returns in exchange for helping them find their victims online via several phishing methods. The attackers usually try to deceive their victims into moving or transferring funds into accounts controlled by their bosses via several means, which include befriending them, sending them phishing links, or calling to act as their banks.
Most of these scams target residents in America, Canada, Mexico, and other European countries, since most of these people are seen as better off than the average African. This doesn’t mean their activities are limited abroad, as they also try their hands on local victims that fall prey to their tactics. According to experts, cybercriminals are now using sophisticated technologies to carry out their acts, making it harder to apprehend them.
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