The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claims it has handed over $22,000 recovered from Hakeem Olanrewaju, a convicted internet fraudster, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In a statement released on Saturday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale stated that the money was given up to the FBI in Lagos State on Friday.
“We are delighted to be handing over this proceeds of crime today,” the Acting Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Command Michael Wetkas said. “The EFCC is willing and always ready to do more.”
At the event, FBI’s Legal Attaché Charles Smith commended the EFCC for the move.
“The EFCC and FBI work collaboratively together, and it is thanks to the EFCC that we can recover funds of this nature, especially from Business email Compromise, BEC,” he said.
“This type of crime cripples businesses in the US, and for them to recover the money within one to two years gives hope to the affected companies and brings some level of justice, even if not all subjects have been identified.
“We hope our relationship continues and fosters a more cohesive partnership between the two agencies. If there’s anything the FBI can do to support this investigation, we will do so. We appreciate this on behalf of the FBI and thank the EFCC.”
Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos had, on August 15, 2023, ordered that the recovered money from Olanrewaju, who was sentenced to two years imprisonment for identity theft and impersonation, be restituted to his victim in the US.