The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted 59 foreign nationals for their involvement in a major cybercrime syndicate uncovered by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre.
The foreigners, identified as citizens of China and Malaysia, were among the 130 suspects arrested during a police raid on a building in the Jahi area of Abuja on November 3, 2024.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, on Thursday, the suspects included 113 foreigners and 17 Nigerians accused of large-scale internet fraud, sophisticated hacking, and other offences threatening the country’s cybersecurity.
Twenty-one members of the syndicate were earlier sentenced in August 2025, while five others were convicted in September.
Hundeyin added that the latest conviction brings the total number of convicted suspects in the case to 85.
“In furtherance of the Nigeria Police Force’s sustained efforts in combating all forms of cybercrimes and safeguarding national security, the Nigeria Police Force, through its National Cybercrime Centre, has recorded another milestone with the conviction of an additional fifty-nine (59) foreign nationals, in continuation of the prosecution of members of a high-profile international cybercrime syndicate uncovered in Abuja in November 2024.
“On Saturday, 3rd November 2024, acting on credible and actionable intelligence, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, carried out a well-coordinated cyber-operation on a building located in Jahi, Abuja.
“The operation, which formed part of a broader national cybercrime crackdown, led to the arrest of 130 suspects, comprising 113 foreign nationals of Chinese and Malaysian origin and 17 Nigerians. These individuals were implicated in various cyber offences, including large-scale internet fraud, sophisticated hacking operations, and other cybercriminal activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s national cybersecurity.”
The statement added that the convictions followed the presentation of digital forensic evidence linking the convicts to cybercrimes.
Hundeyin also quoted the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, as describing the development as another major step in the force’s effort to combat cybercrime in Nigeria.
“He emphasises that these convictions send a strong and clear message to both local and international cybercriminal networks that Nigeria will not serve as a safe haven for cybercriminal enterprises.
“IGP Egbetokun further assures members of the public that the Force will continue to leverage cutting-edge technology, strengthen international collaborations, and sustain diligent investigative and prosecutorial processes to dismantle organized cybercrime networks and bring perpetrators to justice.”
PUNCH Metro reported on August 21 that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Immigration Service in August repatriated 51 more foreign nationals convicted for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The latest group of deportees, according to the EFCC in a statement on Thursday, includes 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian.
The repatriation brought the total number of convicted foreign nationals deported to 102 since it commenced on August 15, 2025.
The development comes amid efforts by the police and EFCC to clamp down on cybercrime operations in the country.
PUNCH.
