The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has transferred $22,000 recovered from convicted internet fraudster Hakeem Olanrewaju to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
In a statement issued on Saturday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that the money was handed over on Friday in Lagos State.
“We are delighted to be handing over this proceeds of crime today,” said Michael Wetkas, Acting Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Command. “The EFCC is willing and always ready to do more.”
Charles Smith, FBI’s Legal Attaché, praised the EFCC for their efforts. “The EFCC and FBI work collaboratively, and it is thanks to the EFCC that we can recover funds of this nature, especially from Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes,” he said.
Smith emphasized the impact of such crimes on businesses in the US and the importance of recovering funds swiftly. “This type of crime cripples businesses in the US, and recovering the money within one to two years gives hope to the affected companies and brings some level of justice, even if not all perpetrators have been identified.”
He expressed hope for continued cooperation between the two agencies. “We hope our relationship continues and fosters a more cohesive partnership. 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 in Ikoyi, Lagos, had ordered on August 15, 2023, 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.
