The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said its findings revealed that some politicians were sponsored for elections by internet fraudsters, vowing to expose both the politicians and their sponsors soon.
This was disclosed by the Zonal Head of EFCC, Port Harcourt Zone, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, on Tuesday in Port Harcourt while speaking with newsmen on the anti-graft agency’s collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the fight against internet fraud.
According to Bawa, “cyber crime is tarnishing Nigeria’s image and killing genuine businesses. We will soon make public names of suspected cyber criminals and the candidates they sponsored to contest public offices.”
He further stated that the publication would be done at the end of its ongoing investigation.
He also revealed that the Port Harcourt zone of the anti-graft agency had arrested 105 cyber crime suspects, securing 32 convictions of fraudsters in the last eight months.
The zone, according to Bawa, also secured the conviction of 149 oil thieves between January and August, 2019.
Explaining that the commission has been working on 13 suspected internet fraudsters on FBI’s watch list, Bawa added that one Ogbonnah Atoukaritou, who was formerly based in London; and one Chidi Egbeonu, formerly based in Japan, were currently in EFCC net.
“The last eight months have been months of intensive and extensive investigations and prosecution of oil-related and several internet-related cases in which the zone has recorded 149 convictions, recovered N268,934,375.75, $2,012,568.00 and 15,000.00 euros; with 162 cases pending in court,” Bawa further disclosed.
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