The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over 53 vehicles and $180,300 stolen by fraudsters from Canadian citizens to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The assets were recovered as part of an international effort to combat financial crimes.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, made the announcement during a formal handover ceremony held in Abuja. He revealed that a significant portion of the recovered funds, $164,000, had been stolen from a Canadian woman, Elena Bogomas, through a romance scam. Another $16,300 had been taken from Sandra Butler, also a Canadian citizen.
“These recoveries reflect the strong inter-agency cooperation between Nigeria and other countries in the fight against corruption,” Olukoyede said.
He emphasized that the EFCC’s operations had spanned several years, leading to the substantial recovery of assets on behalf of the Canadian victims of cybercrime.
“We are here today to witness the handover of assets recovered for Canadian victims of cybercrime. This is a testament to our commitment as an agency and as a nation to fighting financial crimes,” Olukoyede remarked. “It is important to highlight that Nigeria is not merely a hub for financial crimes, but rather a transit point, much like Canada and other countries across the globe.”
He further stressed the Nigerian government’s zero-tolerance stance on financial crimes, adding that the country remains dedicated to bringing perpetrators to justice.
“In total, we recovered 53 vehicles for the victims. Of the $180,300, $164,000 was taken from Elena Bogomas, while $16,300 was stolen from Sandra Butler. These funds and assets will be handed over to the Canadian police to return to the rightful owners,” Olukoyede explained.
The EFCC Chairman assured that the commission would continue its efforts to investigate, prosecute, and recover assets for victims of financial crimes, both domestically and internationally.
