Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu has said that that the anti-graft agency was collating comprehensive data on Nigerians indicted in the United States for money laundering and cyber crime offences.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the U.S. is investigating 80 suspects, most of whom are Nigerians, allegedly involved in money laundering and cyber crime.
EFCC head, media, and publicity Mr. Wilson Uwujaren in a press statement, Wednesday in Abuja, said the anti-agency boss made this known through the head of the Ibadan zonal office Friday Ebelo during a press conference in Ibadan.
The spokesperson said Magu noted that the massive data collection was part of the collaborative activities between the EFCC and FBI to ensure that criminal elements are exposed and made to pay for their crimes.
He gave an intricate connection between the local Yahoo Boys and their offshore criminal collaborators, pointing out that the data mining exercise was aimed at establishing any form of relationship the indicted individuals may have with Nigeria-based suspects, and how this could help in furthering the fight against economic and financial crimes in the country.
According to him, information earlier collected have led to the arrest of many internet fraudsters including one of the kingpins, Ajayi Gbenga Festus, who was nabbed during a recent raid in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state
Festus, he said was found to be deeply involved in many internet-related frauds from which he had benefited up to N75 million in the last eight months.
“We were able to establish a number of illicit transactions through his Nigerian bank account amounting to over N223 million. Ajayi serves as conduit pipe through which proceeds of crime reach members of the syndicate,” he stated.
