EFCC returns €5100 to Spanish ambassador in landmark anti-fraud collaboration

• The EFCC has handed over €5100, recovered from a Nigerian fraudster, to the Spanish Ambassador in a significant act of international cooperation
• EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede emphasized the importance of collaboration between Nigeria and Spain in combating financial crimes
• The event showed the commitment of both nations to making the global financial ecosystem safer and more secure

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, handed over €5100 (Five Thousand, One Hundred Euros) to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Juan Ignacio Sell, on Friday, September 20, 2024.

This sum, recovered from a Nigerian romance fraudster, was intended for Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, a Spanish victim, and was retrieved through the collaborative efforts of the EFCC and the Spanish Police.

EFCC and Spanish authorities celebrate successful recovery. Photo credit: Facebook/EFCC
Source: Facebook

During the handover ceremony, Olukoyede expressed his gratitude to the Spanish government for its longstanding support to Nigeria.

He emphasized that the recovery and return of the funds underscored the strong relationship and cooperation between the two nations and their respective law enforcement agencies.

“I would like to thank you for all the support over the years on behalf of your country that you have been giving to Nigeria and also for finding Nigeria a conducive place to carry out your diplomatic work and encouraging investors from Spain to come to Nigeria and invest. On our part as a law enforcement agency, the event here today is a testament of the collaboration between Nigeria and Spain and also between the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria and those in Spain,” Olukoyede stated.

EFCC and Spain collaborate to combat financial crimes

Highlighting the borderless nature of internet crimes, Olukoyede stressed the necessity of international collaboration to combat financial crimes effectively.

He reaffirmed the EFCC's commitment to making Nigeria an inhospitable environment for corrupt and fraudulent activities.

“It has become very imperative for us to understand that financial crimes have become a borderless crime. Sometimes you will discover that they operate from a different country and get their victims in another country and the proceeds of crime go to a different country. On our path, we are resolute to ensure that Nigeria is not made a safe haven for financial criminals and corrupt people. We do it to cleanse our system in collaboration with our partners across the world. We are much more ready to continue to do that. In the interest of both countries we must do what we have to do. There must be mutual trust, mutual support for us to ensure that we cleanse the global financial ecosystem from being destroyed,” he said.

The event marked a milestone in the ongoing efforts to strengthen international partnerships in the fight against financial crimes, reflecting a shared commitment to justice and integrity.

EFCC returns 14 recovered assets

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that in a ceremony held at the EFCC headquarters, Chairman Ola Olukoyede returned 14 recovered assets to Enugu State Governor Peter Mba.

These assets, forfeited to the federal government following convictions related to an investigation launched in 2007, were returned upon President Bola Tinubu's order.

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Source: Legit.ng