The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced Tuesday that 39 Filipinos who were arrested in Nigeria for alleged involvement in online fraud have been repatriated.
The group arrived Monday evening at Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Lagos. They were among 800 individuals arrested in December 2024 during raids on online fraud operations, which targeted cryptocurrency investors and romance scam victims.
The workers, who were recruited from Dubai, initially came to Nigeria for customer service jobs with a promised salary of $1,000 per month.
However, they told authorities they were forced to participate in scam operations, had their passports confiscated, and were subjected to poor working conditions.
The Filipinos faced charges of cybercrime, economic sabotage and violations of Nigerian immigration laws.
The Philippine Embassy in Abuja and the Honorary Consulate in Lagos helped them enter into plea bargaining agreements to expedite their release and repatriation.
Meantime, the DMW said one Filipino woman remains in Nigeria after giving birth while in detention. She will be repatriated once she is cleared for travel with her infant.
The repatriated Filipinos received assistance from the DMW and other government agencies upon their return.