Nigeria has deported dozens of foreigners including 50 Chinese nationals in a sweeping crackdown on what authorities describe as one of the country’s largest foreign-led cybercrime syndicates.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the latest removals bring the total number of convicted foreign nationals repatriated in the ongoing operation to 102, all found guilty of cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
The deportees were part of 192 foreign nationals arrested during a coordinated sting in Lagos last Friday. Of those detained, 148 were Chinese, according to the EFCC.
Nigeria has long struggled with cybercrime, including romance scams, and the agency says such offences were among the country’s most common last year. The EFCC has previously raided several locations where young cybercriminals widely known as “Yahoo Boys” are believed to train.
The crackdown also reflects an increasing number of high-profile cases involving Nigerians abroad, many uncovered through investigations by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
On Thursday, the EFCC shared photos on X showing the deported individuals lined up at an airport with luggage and face masks. More deportations are expected in the coming days, the agency said.
The current operation codenamed “Eagle Flush” began after officials received “actionable intelligence,” according to the EFCC. It marks the second major sweep targeting foreign cybercrime suspects within a year.
In December, nearly 800 suspects were arrested, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, in what authorities described as an organised network in which foreign actors worked with Nigerian recruits to run romance scams and cryptocurrency-investment fraud schemes.
The EFCC attributes the surge in cybercrime to high unemployment, a desire for quick wealth among young people, a large informal economy, and weak regulatory systems.
Last year, Meta the parent company of Instagram removed thousands of Nigeria-based accounts linked to sextortion schemes, in which scammers impersonate young women online to solicit sexually explicit content before extorting victims. The company also took down 5,700 Facebook groups where fraud tutorials were being shared.
Authorities and cybersecurity experts continue to warn the public to remain alert to the rising dangers of online fraud.
