EFCC arrests eight Internet fraudsters in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Office, has apprehended eight suspected internet fraudsters, one of whom supposedly tried to pay for a Sports Utility Vehicle worth N44m in Bitcoin.

Our reporter gathered that EFCC accused one of the suspects, Ogundiyan for committing online fraud and converting his loot to cryptocurrency.

An EFCC source stated, “Ogundiyan acquired his wealth from internet fraud, layered it into a Bitcoin account and finally integrated it by approaching a car shop owner in Lekki to purchase a Range Rover Vela P380 2018 model worth N44m ($97,626 USD in Bitcoin) sometime in March 2021.”

Ogundiyan and seven others were apprehended by the anti-graft agency on May 18, 2021, at River View Estate, Lekki, Lagos for suspected computer-related fraud.

The other suspects include Samson Afolabi, Adebayo Olumide, Daniel Akinwunmi, Moses Segun, Kelechi Felix, Adeleke Tofunmi, and Adewale Victor.

The suspects were declared to have been found with exhibitions which include electronic gadgets, exotic cars, expensive jewellery, antiques, and so on.

The anti-graft agency said that during its investigation, it also learnt that apart from computer-related fraud, some of the suspects had accomplished the three phases of money laundering – placement, layering and integration.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was established in 2003. It is a law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud and money laundering.

The agency has its head office in Abuja, Nigeria. The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is Abdulrasheed Bawa.