Experts say such a transparent, well-meaning anti-financial crimes crusade is what appears to be steadily helping Nigeria in its effort to exit the FATF money laundering Grey List.
Nigeria is currently 12th on the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring (Grey List) as of June this year, along with South Africca, Senegal, Cameroon, Namibia, Bulgaria, Kenya, DRC, Coatia and Philippines, among others.
Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the anti-graft agency who handed over the recovered assets to the representatives of RCMP in Abuja – Nasser Sadiou, its Regional Officer, and Mr Robert Aboumitiri, First Secretary, Deputy High Commission of Canada, Nigeria -explained that the vehicles were stolen from Canada and tracked to various car stands in Nigeria, disclosing that nine of the vehicles were tracked to customs port, where they were awaiting clearance.
Olukoyede disclosed that 164, 000 U.S. dollars was recovered for a Canadian, Elena Bogomas, in a romance scam, while 16, 300 U.S. dollars was also recovered for another Canadian, Sandra Butler, stating that one of the fraudsters used his proceeds to buy an estate and was later arrested, prosecuted and jailed, while the property was sold to recover the funds.
“It’s common knowledge that financial crimes have taken a new turn all across the globe,” the EFCC boss declared, adding that the people who perpetrate these crimes carry out their nefarious activities in such a way that their activities have become quite borderless and barbaric.
Lamenting that such international crooks now employ all manner of methods and channels to spirit themselves across various jurisdictions, Olukoyede said “That’s why it has become very necessary and imperative for us to collaborate with our friends across the world, people who share the same objective and mandate with us.”
“What the EFCC is doing today it is doing on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Olukoyede stressed. “It is also demonstrating the fact that the President has given us the mandate to extend our hands to ensure that this particular problem is resolved and that is exactly what we are doing here today.”
Hailing the exercise as a demonstration of the EFCC’s commitment to inter-agency cooperation in the country, the EFCC Chairman said it is equally a demonstration of the fact that the Nigerian government does not tolerate financial crimes.
“Not only that, we are going to pursue it, because not only that, we will investigate, we will recover, we will prosecute and we will ensure that the victim is restituted, the EFCC Chairman further enthused, disclosing that the Commission has “recovered money, financial assets, and also we have recovered vehicles on behalf of the victims in Canada.”
“As a matter of fact, the 53 vehicles were recovered on behalf of the victims,” he emphasized.
“In one instance, we had 164,000 U.S. dollars given to a Canadian victim known as Elena Bogomas.
“Also, we have here, which we will present to you today, another sum of 16,300 U.S. dollars stolen from another victim known as Sandra Butler.”
Sadiou, in his remarks after the signing of documents for the transfer of the recovered assets, thanked the Government of Nigeria and the EFCC for the fight against corruption.
“I am really happy to be here. I feel like being home. I am very happy with the recovery and we appreciate the EFCC for the job they have done.
“It is a testimony of your professionalism and commitment in the combat against financial crimes.
“EFCC is one of the key partners in the fight against financial crimes in the world and West Africa in particular,” he said.
Aboumitiri in his remarks, lauded the partnership between the Canadian government and the Federal Government of Nigeria, noting that the partnership has been yielding positive results.
