EFCC hands over 53 vehicles And $180,300 to Canadian Police

EFCC Hands Over Recovered Assets to Canadian Authorities

Abuja, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over 53 recovered vehicles and $180,300 to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on behalf of victims of financial crimes in Canada. The ceremony, which took place in Abuja, was witnessed by officials from the Canadian government and the EFCC.

According to Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the EFCC, the vehicles were stolen from Canada and tracked to various car stands in Nigeria. Nine of the vehicles were found at a customs port, awaiting clearance. The recovered assets include $164,000 for a Canadian victim, Elena Bogomas, who was a victim of romance scam, and $16,300 for another Canadian victim, Sandra Butler.

Olukoyede emphasized the importance of international cooperation in fighting financial crimes, noting that perpetrators often operate across borders and use various means to evade detection. “The people who perpetrate these crimes do it in such a way that we discover that their activities are quite borderless and barbaric,” he said.

The EFCC Chairman reiterated the agency’s commitment to inter-agency cooperation and its determination to pursue financial crimes until justice is served. “Not only that, we will investigate, we will recover, we will prosecute and we will ensure that the victim is restituted,” he said.

Nasser Sadiou, Regional Officer of the RCMP, thanked the Nigerian government and the EFCC for their efforts in fighting corruption. He praised the EFCC’s professionalism and commitment to combating 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.

Robert Aboumitiri, First Secretary, Deputy High Commission of Canada, Nigeria, commended the partnership between the Canadian government and the Federal Government of Nigeria, noting that it has yielded positive results. “We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to continuing to work together to combat financial crimes,” he said.

The handover of the recovered assets is a significant milestone in the fight against financial crimes and demonstrates the effectiveness of international cooperation in achieving justice for victims of fraud.