The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a final order for the forfeiture of $163,592, funds deemed to be the proceeds of an elaborate international fraud scheme orchestrated by Akpasi Michael Oziegbe. Presiding Judge M.S. Liman delivered the ruling in a non-conviction-based forfeiture proceeding after the suspect failed to provide legitimate documentation or evidence to justify his ownership of the recovered capital.
The illicit funds were uncovered in a domiciliary account held by Micoz Bluelink Enterprise, a business entity controlled by Mr. Oziegbe at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc. Investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that the suspect had impersonated one Edward Campbell, a former employee of Applied Industrial Technologies who had reportedly suffered an on-the-job injury.
Using this fabricated persona, Mr. Oziegbe contacted the United States-based law firm, Steven J. Mandel & Co., on June 27, 2022. He successfully deceived the firm into believing he was seeking legal enforcement of a settlement agreement against his former employer. The scheme reached its peak when the law firm was presented with a fraudulent cheque worth $165,157. Trusting the legitimacy of the claimant, the firm deducted its legal fees and wired the balance of $163,592 to the account provided by the impersonator on July 20, 2022.
The deception unraveled the following day when JP Morgan Chase Bank alerted the law firm that the cheque was a forgery. Upon verifying the fraud with Applied Industrial Technologies, the firm promptly notified the United States Secret Service.
In Nigeria, UBA flagged the inflow as highly suspicious. After consulting with its correspondent bank, Citibank, UBA placed a lien on the account following a formal request for a refund from the originating bank. Despite the EFCC’s efforts to interrogate him, Mr. Oziegbe claimed the funds were payments for materials supplied to the United States, yet he failed to present a single piece of evidence to substantiate these claims.
The EFCC had previously secured a freezing order on the account in September 2024 and an interim forfeiture order in August 2025, providing ample time for the suspect to defend his position. Following his failure to do so, the court finalized the forfeiture. Mr. Oziegbe, who remains a wanted individual in connection with the investigation, has effectively forfeited the entirety of the ill-gotten sum to the Federal Government.
Source: NaijaProbe