Nigeria has deported 102 foreigners accused of involvement in large-scale cybercrime, including 39 Filipinos, the country’s anti-corruption agency confirmed on Thursday.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), those deported were convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud. The majority were Chinese nationals, while others included individuals from Tunisia and Kazakhstan.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale told AFP that the deportations, carried out since August 15, were part of a wider crackdown on international cybercrime groups operating in Nigeria. “Another 39 Filipinos, 10 Chinese and two Kazakhstanis had also been repatriated since August 15,” he said, adding that more deportations are expected in the coming days.
Images released by EFCC showed groups of Asian men in face masks being escorted through airport terminals, underscoring the scale of the operation.
The foreigners were among 792 suspects arrested last December during a sweeping raid in Lagos’ Victoria Island, a wealthy district where authorities say cybercrime rings have been thriving. Of those detained, 192 were foreign nationals—148 of them Chinese.
Nigeria has long battled a reputation for internet scams by so-called “Yahoo Boys,” but officials say international syndicates have increasingly taken root, recruiting local partners to target victims abroad. Investigators said the fraud schemes primarily preyed on individuals in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, often through phishing and identity theft.
Experts warn that weak cybersecurity frameworks have made the country attractive to global syndicates, prompting the EFCC to intensify its efforts against foreign-linked operations.
