Abuja court convicts 59 Chinese and Malaysians for same crime that led to deportation of 42 convicted Chinese and Philippine nationals 2 months ago
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
An Abuja Federal High Court has convicted 59 nationals from China and Malaysia for their involvement in a cybercrime syndicate busted by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre.
The convicts were among 130 suspects arrested during a police raid on a building in the Jahi area of Abuja on 3 November 2024.
The same crime led to the deportation of 42 convicted Chinese and Philippine nationals in August 2025.
A statement issued by Force Headquarters spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), disclosed that the suspects included 113 foreigners and 17 Nigerians accused of large-scale internet fraud, sophisticated hacking, and other crimes threatening national cybersecurity.
Twenty-one members of the syndicate were sentenced in August 2025 and five others in September, bringing total convictions in the case to 85.
Hundeyi said: “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 convictions followed the presentation of digital forensic evidence linking the convicts to cybercrimes.
Hundeyin quoted Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun as describing the development as another major step in the effort to combat cybercrime in Nigeria.
“He [Egbetokun] 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.
“[He] 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.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on August 21 repatriated an additional 51 foreign nationals convicted for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The deportees were 50 Chinese and one Tunisian, who brought the total number of deported foreign convicts to 102 since the operation began on August 15.
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