The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) has revealed that it arrested 792 fraudsters for various financial crimes in just six hours operation of 2024, out of which, 192 of them are foreigners.
The revelation was made on Thursday by the Head Media and Publicity, EFCC headquarters, Mr. Dele Oyewole while speaking on the roles of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and the media in driving a preventive framework on financial crimes.
The occasion marked a one – day capacity building workshop organised for CSOs and Journalists by the EFCC held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Oyewole added that when the culprits were taken to the court for prosecution, the court ordered that the 192 of them who are foreigners should be deported back to their countries, saying that the Commission equally secured the forfeiture of 753 units of duplex as proceeds of crimes in 2024.
On the insinuation that the EFCC was focusing on a particular financial crime such as internet frauds, Oyewole noted that the Commission had arrainged five former governors and five former ministers in 2024, adding that, the Commission had also secured conviction of 4,111 cases between 2024 and 2025.
On implementation of proceeds of crimes, Oyewole said in 2024, the EFCC recovered N566 billion from financial crimes, noting that parts of the recovered money was used for developmental projects across the country by government, while others were used for funding in education, including the NELFUND which has been assisting indigent students in various institutions of learning to obtain education.
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Declaring the workshop open, the Acting North East Zonal Director of EFCC in Maiduguri, Barrister Aisha Habib, noted that the issue of fighting corruption cannot be left solely to the EFCC, hence the media and the CSOs are brought together to collaborate in reporting and advocating against all sorts of financial crimes in the society.
The EFCC Maiduguri Zonal Director said, because the Commission cannot at times get access to communities, it organised the workshop to engage the media and CSOs to take the message against financial crimes to the communities , because they have better access to the people.
” The issue of financial crimes especially, the crypto currency fraud is ongoing and we felt it is easier to engage you and the key message to the public is ” beware, be cautious and don’t be greedy,” there is nothing like 200% in any business. You cannot just put money in something and overnight expect 200% profit.
” When it is too good to be true, it is not true. That is what we want the public to be aware,” she warned.
Resource persons at the workshop include Mr. Muawiyya Abdulkarim ; Mukhtar Ali Ahmed ( Head of Legal and Prosecution Department, Maiduguri Directorate ) represented by Aliyu Abdulmalik took participants on ” Understanding crypto currency fraud and other emerging financial crimes and prosecuting financial crimes issues, challenges and the way forward “.