Skip to main content

EFCC Recovers N222.574m From Fraudsters

Efcc-Operatives

Efcc-Operatives

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has recovered N222.574 million and foreign currencies from fraudsters in South East Nigeria.

Mr Johnson Babalola, the South East Zonal Head of the commission, disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Enugu.

Babalola said that the amount was recovered from January to date following a renewed drive by the leadership of the commission.

He said that the monies were recovered from fraudsters, including politicians.

“We equally recovered 955,465 dollars; 10,000 Euros and 3,588 Chinese currencies.

“The zone has successfully concluded some of the reported cases where monies were recovered out of which 130,750 dollars was forfeited and paid into the coffers of the Federal Government,” he said.

Babalola said that 36 out of the 522 cases currently under investigation had been concluded and charged to various courts in the zone.

“Of these cases, we have secured a total of 14 convictions.

“The zone is currently investigating some high profile cases that are of public interest in which billions of Naira are involved,” he said.

He said in one of the cases, the suspect collected N4 billion from the public on the pretext that certain percentage of the said sum would be paid to them monthly.

According to the official, the suspect is currently in detention.

“This figure is just from two out of the over 20 accounts he operates.

“By the time we are able to burst into the other accounts we should be able to give the near accurate figure he has collected.

“It is suspected that a larger percentage of the funds he got from members of the public are stashed in an offshore account,” he added.

Babalola said that the commission had received no fewer than 150 petitions against the suspect from members of the public whom he duped.

“In the course of investigations, we were able to identify three choice properties and a multi million Naira warehouse that had been sealed and placed under investigation.

“Additional two exotic SUVs have also been recovered as the proceeds of the crime,” he said.

Babalola said that the commission also received petitions in a similar allegation against another suspect involving more than N9 billion.

“The suspect was alleged to have been operating something like a foreign exchange bureau from where he wired monies belonging to his victims to some offshore accounts.

“We have been able to trace about N9 billion of the illegally gotten monies to him,” Babalola said.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg
Post a Comment
Read more

FG berates US congressman over comment

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture Photo: Femi Ipaye/PM News The Federal Government has described as sadly out of tune with reality the published letter from US Congressman Tom Marino to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking the US to withhold security assistance to Nigeria on the strength of some imaginary infraction by the Buhari Administration. In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Congressman Marino was poorly informed about the issues he commented on, wondering why he did not take the pains to get first hand information from the US Embassy in Nigeria or any other credible source before engaging in what is nothing but a ‘propaganda of his own imagination’. The Minister said by asking the US to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria based on a faulty premise, the Congressman has demonstrated a poor understanding of global security issues. ”Insecurity anywhere i
Post a Comment
Read more

Aubameyang leads Gabon to Nations Cup

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the cast for Gabon as the hosts became the first team to name their final 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad. The team captain and Borussia Dortmund star will lead the home players out for the opening game of the tournament against debutants Guinea-Bissau on 14 January in Libreville. Gabon have also named Sunderland midfielder Didier Ndong despite the player being left out of November’s World Cup qualifier in Mali. Ndong was in the capital city Libreville but failed to turn up for international duty ahead of the Mali game last month, forcing the Gabonese Football Federation [Fegafoot] to send him back to England. But a remorseful Ndong, who held clear-the-air talks with Fegafoot has been included in a 23-man Panthers squad. Other names to make the final party include Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina, Bruno Ecuélé Manga of Cardiff City and China-based striker Malick Evouna. Gabon coach José Antonio Camacho included three do
Post a Comment
Read more