‘US, Spain and Switzerland!’ EFCC Returns Over $127,000, N70.6m, Luxury Cars to Fraud Victims (Photos)

OwelekeTV (News) EFCC Returns Over $127,000, N70.6 Million, Luxury Cars to Fraud Victims in US, Spain, Switzerland

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has transferred a total of $127,892.43 and N70,602,841.46 to fraud victims in the United States, Spain, and Switzerland.

At a handover ceremony on Friday, officials of the anti-graft agency presented the recovered assets to representatives of the affected countries at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Charles Smith, legal attaché of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), took possession of $26,581 and N40,602,841.46 on behalf of American victims.

Also handed over were two luxury vehicles—a Mercedes Benz E550 4Matic and a Mercedes Benz C450 AMG—as well as a residential property at 17/19 Seaman Street, Unguwar Maigero, Kaduna State.

Switzerland’s ambassador to Nigeria, Andreas Baum, received $100,011.43 for a Swiss national defrauded in Nigeria, while Maria Velasco, acting Spanish ambassador, was presented with $1,300 and N30 million for a Spanish victim.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, speaking at the event, underscored Nigeria’s commitment to the fight against financial crimes and the restitution of stolen assets.

“Our being here is a demonstration of the commitment of the federal government of Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the fight against corruption and financial crimes,”

Olukoyede said.

“We also recover to restitute the victims. And it’s important for us to know that within the purview of our law, if you are a recipient of proceeds of crime and you sit over it, you are an accessory to the crime.”

The EFCC has intensified efforts to strengthen international cooperation in tracking and recovering illicit funds linked to cross-border financial crimes.