**EFCC Returns Stolen Funds to Romance Scammer, Presents to Spanish Ambassador**
International financial crime remains a worrisome issue that affects many people across the world. Recently, the Nigerian Anti-Corruption Agency (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a notorious scammer and returned the funds to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Ignacio Sell. The restitution was made possible through collaboration between the EFCC and the Spanish police, demonstrating the commission’s commitment to combating international financial crimes.
At an official ceremony in Abuja, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, handed over the recovered funds to Ambassador Sell, providing relief to the Spanish victim, Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, who was targeted by the romance scam. The fraudster, a Nigerian national, had defrauded the victim of €5,100 but the EFCC’s investigation led to the recovery of the stolen funds.
In his speech, Olukoyede expressed gratitude to the Spanish government for its support and stressed the importance of international cooperation in the fight against financial crimes. He noted that the resources controlled by criminals across the world dwarf the wealth of the technology industry, thus underscoring the need for global collaboration to clean up the financial ecosystem.
He affirmed the EFCC’s commitment to making Nigeria inhospitable to financial criminals and corrupt individuals, highlighting the cross-border nature of internet crimes. He said: “It has become imperative for all governments of the world to collaborate more than ever to clean up the global financial ecosystem and ensure that the activities of these criminals do not flourish.”
Ambassador Sell, for his part, commended the collaboration between the EFCC and the Spanish Police and pledged to strengthen cooperation in training and information sharing. He stressed the importance of greater collaboration between agencies and countries to combat international crimes.
In conclusion, this cooperation between the EFCC and the Spanish Police in the restitution of stolen funds to a Spanish victim demonstrates the urgent need for effective international collaboration in the fight against financial crimes. It is imperative that governments around the world join forces to counter these cross-border criminal activities and thereby protect their country’s citizens from such scams.