The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling foreign-led cybercrime networks after arresting 177 Chinese nationals during major raids targeting transnational fraud operations in Lagos and Abuja.

The arrests, whichh formed part of a wider crackdown between December 2024 and January 2025, followed the discovery of sophisticated scam centres resembling corporate offices, where hundreds of Nigerians were allegedly trained to carry out phishing and cryptocurrency investment fraud.

“These foreign elements are exploiting our vulnerabilities and tarnishing the country’s image with their criminal enterprise,” said EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede during a press briefing. “But there will be no hiding place for criminals in Nigeria.”

Investigations revealed that the Chinese syndicates were running what is commonly referred to as “pig butchering” scams—building trust with online victims before coercing them into fake crypto investments and disappearing with the funds. Hundreds of local SIM cards, high-performance computers, and fraud scripts were recovered from the scenes.

The commission said the foreign suspects used Nigerian accomplices as digital foot soldiers, recruiting them to identify and lure targets, while the masterminds executed the actual scams behind the scenes.

A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that Chinese and Southeast Asian cybercrime rings have increasingly migrated operations to African countries, including Nigeria, following law enforcement crackdowns in their home regions.

“The networks spread like a cancer,” said UNODC’s acting Southeast Asia representative, Benedikt Hofmann. “They relocate, rebuild and continue to exploit institutional weaknesses wherever they can.”

Cybersecurity experts say Nigeria’s weak regulatory framework, widespread digital fraud, and economic instability make it fertile ground for foreign-led cybercrime syndicates to take root.

The EFCC has called for greater international cooperation and stronger policies to tackle the growing threat. Olukoyede noted that combating such crime will require a coordinated effort that goes beyond arrests.

“We are intensifying our actions, but enforcement must be complemented with public education, digital security reforms and global intelligence sharing,” he said.

The EFCC reiterated its zero-tolerance stance as it continues investigations into the broader network, warning that Nigeria will not be allowed to serve as a launchpad for international cybercrime. (The Guardian)