The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is responsible for investigating economic and financial crimes like advance fee fraud, money laundering amongst others.
The commission was established in response to the fact that financial crimes were rapidly tainting the image of the country. And this was causing negative consequences like decreased foreign direct investments.
In fact, in 2003, the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) listed Nigeria as one of the 23 non cooperative countries in the efforts of the international community to fight money laundering.
The EFCC became particularly vibrant under the President Olusegun Obasanjo. This coincided with the promulgation of the EFCC (Establishment) Act in 2004.
This Act mandated the EFCC to fight financial and economic crimes. The Commission was also empowered to prevent, investigate, prosecute and penalise economic and financial crimes. The EFCC is also charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of other laws and regulations relating to economic and financial crime. These include:
- The Money Laundering Act 1995
- The Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 1995
- The Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences act 1995
- The Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Act 1994
- The Banks and other Financial Institutions Act 1991 and
- The Miscellaneous Offences Act
The mission statement of the EFCC is to rid Nigeria of Economic and Financial Crimes and to effectively coordinate the domestic effort of the global fight against money laundering and terrorists financing
The commission is also known for the informal motto, ‘We will get you.’
EFCC Office in Lagos Address
The EFCC Office in Lagos is located at 15A, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and the current chairman of the Commission is Ibrahim Magu.
The Magu regime
Ever since Magu became the chairman of the commission, the EFCC seems to have come alive again with many economic and financial crimes being actively investigated.
Interestingly, Magu has not always being a crimefighter. He studied Accounting at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from where he graduated in 1986.
He became an accountant to the Borno State Government in 1987 and rose to become the Zonal Accountant of the StATE Ministry of Education. Magu would later resign from this position to join the Nigeria Police Force as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1990.
He served in various capacities with the Nigerian Police before moving on to become the chairman of EFCC.
At the EFCC, the Operations Department is the hub of all investigation activities. The department investigates cases such as infarctions that contravent the provisions of the Commission’s enabling law; the EFCC Act 2004 as well as the other economic and financial crime related laws. Some of these include the Money Laundering Act 2011, the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debt) and the Financial Malpractices in Banks Act and the Miscellaneous Offence Act.
Over the years, the EFCC has arrested prominent Nigerians, some of which include:
- Alex Badeh
- Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko
- Bala Ngilari
- Emeka Mba
- Femi Fani-Kayode
- Jide Omokore
- Lawal Jafaru Isa
- Musiliu Obanikoro
- Patrick Akpobolokemi
- Raymond Dokpesi
- Ricky Tarfa
- Sambo Dasuki
- Tom Ikimi
Good morning sir, please I have a situation I will like to report, someone called me claiming to be governor of Anambra State, and that he has an ATM card containing money that I should come and collect it. Which he used two different number to call me, by the time I used my True caller to check, it was a different names.
Please, i need a contact phone number, my wife was defraud of almost 4million.
I need ur help and Lagos address or a number I can call to get info
Someone took my 1:5millon naira
Because I was looking for a Shanghai visa …..and I found out I was paying in in to another person bank account which is the person that give me the agent link
Dear Sir ,
I am a VICTIM OF INTERNET FRAUD SCAM IN CHINA. The fraudster cloned the e-mail of my business partner in China and my own e-mail and had been short changing our conversations, trailed my payment and gave deceptive instruction to change original account of the right recipient, cloned the original PROFORMA INVOICE AND I FELL INTO HIS TRAP. I Paid into his account in STANDARD CHARTERED BANK IN HONG KONG on the 7th of December 2018. This was Friday evening, in Lagos when they were sleeping in Hong Kong. On Saturday , the 8th of December, 2018, I called my partner in china on the transfer to the new account she instructed me to do. She denied it and requested to forward all e-mail concerning the instruction to CHANGE HER ACCOUNT TO THE NEW ONE I PAID. She spotted the SCAM. On Monday, the 10th of December, I reported the case to my bank where I transferred the money.and a memo was sent the receiving bank about the the FRAUD and to take measure in in blocking the account. They replied that the message had been communicated to the account holder to instruct and a request for transfer back to my account will be discussed with him and in event of refusal , the case will be taken to court in Hong Kong. Two weeks, three weeks and a month has passed without response from the bank. I traced their website, and wrote them series of letters which they acknowledged and promised responding but as at this time of writing, no single response. this is VERY VERY BAD OF INTERNATIONAL OF THIS STATUS. I have escalated the case with my bank,INTERPOL in FRANCE AND EFCC of Nigeria.Please I am crying for your help to ARREST AND NAIL THESE ROGUES. This incident has caused me untold hardship as my business prospect is being threatened apart from being put into debt. I am interested in the in-debt investigation into those involved in the FRAUD. Their identity can be TRACED FROM THEIR ACCOUNT DETAIL IN HONG KONG. Further inquiries can be communicated to me through e-mail or mobile number (08035695###). Thanks.
Dear Sir,
I am a victim of SCAM by INTERNET FRAUDSTERS. It happened on 7th December, 2018. I paid into wrong account through fraudluent, tricks
and cloning of e-mail in getting me to their trap. The money was transferred to an account in Hong Kong. Luckily ,it was weekend and I was able to report the case to the receiving bank, STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, HONG KONG, through my my bank FCMB, Oko-Oba, Road, Agege. The receiving bank acknowledged our complaint and said acction would be taken on it. But ,nearly two months now , series of letters and reminders to the bank in Hong Kong by me nad my bank had not been updated on the outcome of their findings and conclusion in the local court in Hong Kong. I am finally contacting your agency in consultation with my bank after the receiving bank failed to respond to our queries. The detail and evidence will be provided when I get your e-mail. Note that I have also contacted ITERPOL, FRANCE on this issue with no response from them since two weeks ago when I wrote them.
I was defrauded of a sum of two hundred and thirty naira by a supposed group that posed as ‘Glory-Life Investment’ on whatsapp. On 11th January, I was introduced to call this number: 08028573835. The agent I spoke with from time to time would ask me to pay some amount of money to a First Bank account number: 3112776007 belonging to one ‘Habitat Umar Ovayioza’, assuring that I would be paid double. After I had paid up to one hundred and forty thousand, I was asked to balance sixty thousand naira into a UBA account belonging to ‘Badmus Adekola Abdullahi’ so as to receive four hundred thousand naira. They said I should balance twenty thousand naira and that they had a charge of ten thousand naira, which I paid into a Keystone Bank account belonging to ‘Oji Collins Emoefe’. After these, I was still asked to balance forty thousand naira but I declined as I smelt a rat. I asked him to pay back all I have paid in so far. He went ahead to program my payment as 520 thousand without my consent and told me lies of them configuring my payment. I would call him often to ask about my payment and he would assure me that I will soon be paid. After sometime, I realised that he wouldn’t pick his calls or return mine and his line was switched off!
I am a victim of Internet fraud scammers in Nigeria. I have lost a lot of money. I need to be reimbursed for all the money that I have lost to the Nigerians. My parents were missionaries in Nigeria for Twenty (20) years and it is difficult to fathom that this has happened to me. I have been trying for Fifteen (15) years to obtain my Compensation Fund. Would you
please be so kind to assist me. I am now 80 years old, and I really need my money to pay my bills and live. Waiting patiently to hear from youl