The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in partnership with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), has completed the deportation of 192 foreign nationals convicted and sentenced for cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and related financial crimes in Lagos.
The anti-graft agency confirmed the exercise in a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The EFCC disclosed that the deported convicts included nationals of China, the Philippines, Tunisia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Timor-Leste.
The coordinated deportation was carried out in phases between August and mid-October 2025, in accordance with court directives and immigration procedures.
Backstory
On December 10, 2024, EFCC operatives stormed a seven-storey building known as the Big Leaf Building, located at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, after receiving verifiable intelligence about an international cybercrime syndicate using the property as a base of operations.
They confirmed that 792 suspects were arrested during the raid, including 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Kyrgyzstan nationals, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian.
According to the EFCC, the facility could be mistaken for a corporate headquarters of a financial establishment, as all the floors are equipped with high-end desktop computers. Investigators reportedly recovered 500 SIM cards from the fifth floor alone, all purchased for criminal purposes.
They explained that the foreign kingpins hired Nigerian accomplices to prospect for victims online through phishing tactics, primarily targeting Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and several Europeans. The Nigerians were reportedly trained to communicate with victims on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram, posing as foreigners. They were given access to foreign communication lines and victims’ contacts through digital logs provided by their trainers.
The EFCC also revealed that the group used a fraudulent investment platform, yooto.com, where victims were lured to invest after fake romantic or business interactions. For those who show interest, activation fees for an account on the platform start from $35 USD.
Details of the operation
According to the EFCC, the deportation marks the conclusion of a large-scale law enforcement operation. The Commission stated that the deportation exercise began on August 15, 2025, following the conviction of the offenders by the Federal High Court in Lagos for cybercrime, money laundering, and Ponzi scheme operations.
The first batch of 42 convicts, made up of Chinese and Filipino nationals, was deported on August 15, 2025, with subsequent batches repatriated throughout August and September. The final batch of 51 convicts, comprising 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian, was deported on October 16, 2025, bringing the total number of repatriated foreigners to 192.
- The Commission revealed that all the deported convicts had been sentenced to imprisonment after being arrested with their Nigerian accomplices, who were identified as members of a sophisticated cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicate operating under the name Genting International Co. Limited.
- Investigations following their arrest confirmed that the foreigners were part of an organized network involved in large-scale online fraud, identity theft, and cyber-enabled Ponzi schemes.
- The EFCC stated that evidence obtained during the investigation showed the convicts trained recruits and managed fraudulent digital platforms designed to defraud victims both locally and internationally.
