The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), yesterday returned a total sum of $132,362.43 and ₦78,566,324.81 to victims of fraud from the United States, Spain, and Switzerland.
Other assets, including vehicles and real estate documents, were also handed over to representatives of these countries in Nigeria for restitution to those affected by fraudulent activities.
Speaking at the EFCC’s corporate headquarters in Abuja, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede urged countries withholding assets and funds recovered from financial and economic criminals to release them for victim restitution. He said, “We are using this opportunity to appeal to those countries holding proceeds of crime recovered on behalf of Nigeria not to continue to sit on those assets because they belong to Nigeria. They should do everything possible to ensure that these assets are repatriated”.
Olukoyede emphasised that the event demonstrated the Commission’s commitment not just to recovering assets but also to ensuring they are returned to victims.
At the event, Spain’s Acting Ambassador to Nigeria, Maria Velasco, received $1,300 and confirmation of a N30 million transfer already made to the Spanish Embassy in Nigeria for onward transmission to a victim, Maria Del Rosario San Jose. Also,
The Legal Attaché at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Embassy, Charles Smith, received $7,344, 7,963,483.35, and Bitcoin cryptocurrency valued at $4,470 for onward transmission to a victim, Maria Jesus Brockell.
Other restitutions included a residential bungalow at 17/19 Seaman Street, Unguwar Maigero, Kaduna, Kaduna State, handed over to the U.S. Embassy for transmission to a crime victim; $7,527 for a victim, Michael Smith; and $11,710 for another victim, Cheryle Williams, among others.
The Legal Attaché of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria praised the EFCC for its commitment to recovering and returning assets to victims of fraud.
