The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully facilitated the recovery of N211.4 million for two victims of property-related fraud within Delta State. The anti-graft agency confirmed on Thursday that these funds were recovered through diligent investigations conducted by its Benin Zonal Command.
In the first instance, the commission’s acting zonal director, Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, officially presented a bank draft valued at N195 million to the victim, Agofure Etadafe. According to records, the recovery stemmed from a petition filed by Mr. Etadafe in March, in which he alleged that three individuals—Adoni Ogbeni, Osaretin Hilda Ogbeni, and Temple Jafaru—had swindled him out of N200 million under the guise of selling him a plot of land in Effurun, Delta State. Subsequent investigations revealed that after the victim made the substantial payment, he was unable to take possession of the property, as it was discovered that the land in question was already under the ownership of another party.
During the handover ceremony, Mr. Sa’ad reiterated the commission’s resolve to dismantle fraudulent networks and ensure that perpetrators are deprived of the proceeds of their crimes. Upon receiving the recovered funds, a relieved Mr. Etadafe praised the EFCC for its professionalism, noting that he had previously been pessimistic about the possibility of recovering his money due to the evasive nature of the suspects.
In a separate enforcement action, the commission also returned N16.4 million to Benjamin Nwakaegho, acting as legal counsel for a second complainant. In that case, the victim had entrusted an unscrupulous property agent with the sale of a plot of land. While the agent successfully sold the property for N25 million, he only remitted N5 million to the owner, falsely claiming that the buyer had yet to finalize the transaction.
EFCC investigators successfully traced the full payment to the agent’s bank account, exposing the deceit. Following the recovery, Mr. Nwakaegho expressed his appreciation for the commission’s intervention and the efficiency with which they managed the legal process to secure his client’s funds.
Source: NaijaProbe