The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the arrest of two suspects linked to the on- going collaborative investigations betw
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the arrest of two suspects linked to the on- going collaborative investigations between the agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The suspects were reportedly arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers state and Owerri, Imo state.
One of them, Ogbonnah Atoukaritou was identified as a leader of a loose “syndicate of fraudsters allegedly” engaged in business email compromise, was said to have been arrested in Port Harcourt while the other suspect, Alpha Chidi Egbeonu, accused of defrauding a US- based victim, Goldberg Segalla LLP and other yet to be identified victims, was arrested in Owerri.
Items recovered from the suspects include laptops, android phones, land documents, hard disks, Central Processing Unit, warehouse and a recently built house, now attached by the EFCC. The commission said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
The development comes one week after the FBI released a list of 77 Nigerians said to be involved in one of the largest scams in US history.
The anti-graft agency had earlier announced the arrest of Oyediran Joseph also a suspected wanted by FBI. Even though Joseph is not among the 77 suspects whose identities were revealed last week, the commission said the suspect had illegally benefited about N60 million via Western Union Transfer.
“Just last three weeks, the US authority had written to us for assistance in tracking and possible arrest and prosecution of two most wanted FBI suspects in Nigeria. The Commission acceded to their request. The Commission has been supportive of the activities of the FBI and every other foreign counterpart whose responsibility is similar or analogous to ours,” Isyaku said.
He revealed that the zone had traced four properties linked to some cybercrime suspects in choice areas at Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. He said the properties include supermarket and plaza with market value of between N800m and N1bn.
“Within seven months of our operation, the Ilorin zonal office has independently arrested over 58 suspected internet fraudsters, secured conviction of 25 and got forfeiture of their exotic cars and money running into millions of Naira,” he said.
