EFCC nabs suspect on FBI wanted list

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), said it’s Sokoto Zonal Office in collaboration with the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), has arrested one Emmanuel Adedeji Oluwatosin, who is on the wanted list of the FBI.

EFCC in a statement quoted the Zonal Head, Abdullahi Lawal to have explained that the suspect was arrested in Kaduna and recovered Mercedes Benz E550, Mercedes Benz C450, an iPhone, laptops, modem and SIM cards from his residence.

Lawal added that the suspect and his accomplices both in Nigeria and overseas acquired retirement account information (RAI) and personally identifiable information (PII) of multiple persons which they fraudulently used to wire funds into newly created business bank accounts tied to the fraudulently created business. The proceeds were then converted into cryptocurrency.

He said a preliminary investigation revealed that about N1,437,889,157.15 passed through the suspect’s accounts and which the commission has traced about N70,000,000 the suspect invested somewhere. Lawal said efforts were ongoing to recover the money.

Also, Lawal said the Commission has arrested a wanted suspect, Muzakkir Muhammad, in connection with a case of obtaining money under false pretences and production of fake currencies.

He said the suspect was reported by a victim Abdullahi Ibrahim after he had defrauded another victim, Samaila Sani, a Bureau de Change operator to the tune of $33,850.

Ibrahim alleged that Muzakkri Muhammad collected the sum of N2, 350,000 from him on the pretence of producing $100,000 for him, which he has neither produced nor refunded his money.

Lawal said EFCC operatives conducted a search at his house and several incriminating items which the suspect used in luring and defrauding his victims were recovered.

“His method is to make his victims believe that he possesses some form of supernatural abilities of communicating with spirits, while in the actual sense, they are mere tricks which he uses to deprive them of their hard earnings.”

Also paraded are four Sokoto local government officials who defrauded civil servants on the payroll of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). They deducted irregular amount of monies from their salaries since 2013.

Lawal listed their names as Ishaka Abdullahi (Education Secretary), Abdullahi Idris (Deputy Education Secretary), Abdullahi Dadi (Cashier) and Idris Wamabai (Accountant).

The Zonal Head said the suspects would soon be charged to court.