Crime

EFCC Declares 59 Wanted Over N435bn, $397m, €9.9m Frauds

Published

3 years ago

May 1, 2022

No fewer than 59 suspects are on the Wanted List of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for various fraudulent activities amounting to about N435bn and $397,758,000 (about N165bn).

The offences range from money laundering to obtaining money by false pretence, fraud, internet-related offences and issuance of dud cheque.

The commission, in the notice signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, displayed the pictures of the wanted persons and the details of their alleged crimes on its website.

It called on anyone with useful information as to the whereabouts of the said persons to contact any of the commission’s offices or the nearest police station or other security agencies.

The single biggest crime on the list was that of one Maxwell, wanted by the EFCC in an alleged case of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering to the tune of N213bn.

He ran a trading and capital company, in which many investors’ funds got trapped.

Meanwhile on his Facebook page, where he posed with different celebrities, several commenters, believed to have invested in his forex trading business, asked him to refund their money, while some cursed him.

One of the commenters, Madu Prince, wrote, “Oga, please, we are dying. Please pay us back our capital.”

Also, a former personal assistant to a former governor of Kwara State, was said to have signed for and laundered about N12bn belonging to the state government. The suspect was said to have jumped bail granted to him by the commission and had remained incommunicado.

A Nigerien, identified as Hima, was declared wanted by the commission over alleged criminal conspiracy, contract scam, misappropriation of public funds, money laundering and fraud to the tune of $394m, €9.9m and N369m.

He was alleged to have received the sum for the purchase of equipment for the Nigerian military. It was later discovered that there were discrepancies in the supply of the equipment.

Similarly, four Rivers State Government officials, comprising three men and one woman, were declared wanted by the commission over suspected N117bn fraud, alleged criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and misappropriation of public funds and abuse of office.

Also, a native of Plateau State, identified as Noel, was declared wanted in a case bordering on conspiracy, theft and money laundering to the tune of N131m. He was said to be a former staff of First City Monument Bank in Birni Kebbi, Kebbi State.

Similarly, a 27-year-old Yusuf, who hails from Ibeju Lekki in Lagos State, was declared wanted over alleged conspiracy and business email compromise to the tune of $2.2m, while one Sewanu, also from Lagos, was declared wanted for alleged false pretence, names-dropping and fraud to the tune of N32m.

A certain Oluwole is on the list for allegedly receiving fraudulently imported apples worth $158,000 from a South African company. He was said to have refused to remit the payment for products.

In a related development, a female banker from Ondo State allegedly forged a customer’s documents and fraudulently obtained N27m loan facility using the customer’s fixed deposit as collateral for the loan. Also, another female banker from Ogun State allegedly forged treasury bills certificate worth N27m and gave them to a customer in exchange for the money.

An Israeli, identified as Doron, was also declared wanted for obtaining money under false pretence, stealing and forgery. A woman is also on the list for collecting aircraft parts worth $1.4m from a Russian company and evading payment. She was said to have been involved in another N1bn fraud.

Some of the cases are already in court while some jumped the administrative bail granted to them by the EFCC.

Meanwhile, in the March edition of EFCC Alert, the monthly e-magazine published by the Media Unit of the commission, obtained by our correspondent, the chairman of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the commission was not being teleguided by anyone.

He noted that the EFCC was deploying intelligence in its operations, and that all its cases were bailable offences.

He described as worrying the prevalence of cybercrime among the youths.

“I think it is a huge problem that Nigerians should understand and come to terms with; that we need to do something about it. We need to work together,” he added.

PUNCH

Crime

EFCC Arrests CEO Over ₦2bn Ponzi Scheme

Published

5 days ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested the Chief Executive Officer of Gavice Logistics Limited, Ahamba Tochukwu, for allegedly defrauding several investors in his logistics investment schemes to the tune of ₦2 billion.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the EFCC said Tochukwu, through Gavice Logistics Limited, rolled out elaborate investment plans covering haulage, courier, and e-commerce services, while promising investors a 50 per cent return on investment.

The statement, signed by the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, added that investigations revealed Tochukwu collected more than ₦2 billion from 400 investors, who have since been unable to recover their capital.

It noted that the suspect went into hiding with the funds in November 2024 but has now been apprehended by the EFCC operatives and is currently being interrogated over the alleged Ponzi scheme.

The EFCC advised Nigerians to be wary of patronising unverified investment schemes.

“With his arrest, members of the public are advised to desist from patronising unverified pyramid schemes and fraudulent investment promoters in order to avoid being defrauded,” the EFCC warned.

The PUNCH reports the commission had, on May 12, warned Nigerians, particularly the youth, to steer clear of Ponzi schemes, which it described as destructive and a threat to national security and economic growth.

This was after it raised the alarm that 58 illegal Ponzi scheme operators defrauded Nigerians under the guise of investment opportunities.

Crime

Nigeria Police Go Tough On LGBT, Vow to Extradite Suspects From Abroad

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2023

Editor

By Udiele Mercy

Men of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested two men in a hotel in Benin City for alleged involvement in homosexual activities in contravention of the laws of the State.

The men whose identities were given as Dele Thompson and Steve Omobeke were reportedly nabbed during a routine raid on suspected black spots of gay activities in the state.

This particular arrest the police authorities say has got some international dimensions as investigations have revealed that the duo has links with some LGBT exponents in Canada and the United States of America.

Although the police gave no details beyond mentioning one Osamudiamen Monday Aimiuwuriamwen said to be mutual sex partner with Dele Thompson and a funding source for their nefarious activities in Nigeria, they however vowed to do everything humanly possible to arrest every member of the illicit sex gang from wherever they are presently.

The police said they have material evidence in the form of pictures and videos obtained from the suspect’s phone, implicating enough for them to prosecute the suspects.

According to the police, “we have photographs and videos extracted from the suspect’s showing where the outlaws in very compromising positions indicative of their involvement.

“We are surprised that despite efforts by the force and other security agencies to stamp out LGBT practices in the state, many are still indulging in the unholy behavior.”

The command has communicated with the Force Headquarters to activate its extradition agreement with the Interpol to extradite members of the syndicate outside the shores of Nigeria,” said Chidi Nwabuzor, PPRO Edo State Police Command.

Besides the Nigerian State prohibiting same sex relationship through the enactment of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013, the Nigerian society frowns seriously at it to the extent of mobbing suspected LGBT exponents to death when caught in the act.

The law that prescribed 14 years for convicts is considered too lenient by citizens who often prefer to take the laws into their hands.

Crime

Suspected Gay Men In Trouble As Tradition, Police Hunt Them

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2023

Editor

A young man identified as Festus Igbineweka is in serious trouble over his alleged participation in a gay party that went sour at his father’s house on 14 Oguola Road, off Siluko Road Benin City, resulting in his being beatien up along side his partners in crime, causing bodily injuries.

Festus and Osarugue it were allegedly caught in the act kissing and expressing love towards each other, with others including Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli, John Opakunle and Felix Obasuyi who were also having similar fun in their separate room in the same apartment, doing the same thing and later began to have sex on June 30, 2023.

Eye witness account said that Festus Igbineweka reportedly got entangled with an old gay lover Osarugue Austine Edobor,now at large in an after party sex rump in Oguola, the traditional puritan enclave of the legendary Benin tradition which forbids same sex relationship.

The abominable secret meeting came to the open when Festus’ next-door neighbor Benard Akpata was knocking at the door because he was to drive out of the compound and Festus’s car was blocking the drive way. It was learnt that the renegades behaving to type had put on some loud music in the house to mask the pleasurable sounds from within.

Having knocked severally with no response, the said neighbour Bernard reportedly walked in and saw what was happening and promptly raised an alarm that drew the attention of distraught neighbours who descended on them with clubs and other dangerous weapons and repeatedly shouting, abomination!!!.

The alarm caused confusion and rage as more persons got attracted to the crime scene and joined in the beating.

The suspects Festus Igbineweka, Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli,Felix Obasuyi and John Opakunle, after the mob attack were handed over to the police by the vigilante group in the area while the rest suspects Osarugue Austine Edobor and Darlington Itoya managed to escape.

The duo of Osarugue and Darlington who
managed to escape the mob attack, took advantage of the power outage that left the house in total darkness.

Festus and his co travellers including Osarugue,Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli and John Opakunle are also wanted by the Edions (elders) of the area to perform some rituals meant to cleanse the land of the abominable act which can have dire consequences on innocent people if not exorcised.

The gay love birds including those on the run and those arrested are expected to present the atonement items which include, a live spotless white cow, 1000 cowrie shells, seven bottles of red palm oil, 100 pieces of kolanuts, 14 cloves of alligator pepper etc, while the host Fedtus Igbineweka and others arrested are also in the battle of Police prosecution.

Meanwhile, the gay exponents are unable to report the gang beating they suffered in the hand of the natives to the police because their involvement in same sex relationship, is a practice that has been criminalized in Nigeria under the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013.

According to our crime reporter who visited the Ogida Divisional Police Headquarters,the suspects denied involvement in the alleged same-sex practice.