Nigeria has deported 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, the country’s anti-graft agency announced on Thursday.
The move is part of a sweeping crackdown on foreign-led cybercrime networks led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Immigration Service. According to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the operation, which began on August 15, has so far resulted in the deportation of 102 individuals.
Oyewale said the deported Chinese and Tunisian citizens were among nearly 200 foreign nationals arrested in Lagos during a raid on what authorities described as one of the largest cybercrime syndicates in the country.
The EFCC has been intensifying efforts against internet fraud. Late last year, the agency arrested almost 800 suspects in a Lagos building believed to be a major hub for so-called “Yahoo boys.” Authorities said the fraudsters lured victims through online romance scams and persuaded them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.
