$22,000 recovered from a sentenced internet fraudster, Hakeem Olanrewaju, has been handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday.
In the ruling on August 15, 2023, Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, who presided over the case, sentenced Olanrewaju to 2-year imprisonment and directed that the money recovered should be restored to the victim in the United States of America, U.S.A.
This was contained in a statement issued on the verified social media handle of the EFCC on Saturday.
Michael Wetkas, Acting Director of Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC, stressed the commission’s commitment to fighting against crime within the country.
“We are delighted to be handing over the proceeds of this crime today.
“The EFCC is willing and always ready to do more.”
Reacting to the acting director’s statement, Charles Smith, the FBI Legal Attaché, noted its collaboration with the EFCC.
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Furthermore, Smith appreciated the commission’s for their efforts in recovering the looted funds from the culprit.
“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).
“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.”
Meanwhile, recognised attendees are Head, Public Affairs, Lagos, DCE Ayo Oyewole; Head, Investigation, ACE Deborah Oni; and Head, Advance Fee Fraud 1, AFF, CSE Alex Ogbole,
Other representatives present from the FBI office include the Assistant Legal Attaché, Michael Thomas, and the Foreign Service Investigator, Ayo Solademi.
