the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) says it has returned €1,120 (Euros) to a German victim who was said to have been scammed by some Nigerians.
The commission said in a statement Friday that Regina Gluck was swindled by an indigenous man from Edo state, Austin Isibor Aisosa.
Mr. Aisosa allegedly obtained Ms. Gluk’s fund through a false representation that he was a US soldier wounded in Afghanistan and needed urgent medical attention to return to the United States.
Following the recovery of the money from the suspect, the statement indicates that the EFCC, through the commission’s secretary, George Ekpungu, handed over the money to Jan Ritterhoff, an official at the German Embassy in Nigeria, on Thursday.
Mr. Ekpungu expressed his satisfaction with the recovery and the determination of the commission to continue collaborating with the German Embassy and other international partners in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
“It is obvious that the EFCC is doing its job and we will continue to do everything we can to fight all forms of economic and financial crime,” he said.
Receiving the money on behalf of the victim, Mr. Ritterhoff thanked the EFCC for the effort and assured Nigeria of the German government’s assistance in fighting economic and financial crime.
“We are happy that this is possible and will return it to Ms. Gluck as soon as possible. We are always here to help them and we are grateful for her help in very difficult cases,” she said.
This was the latest in the EFCC’s series of returning recovered proceeds from alleged fraud to local and foreign victims.
In January, the EFCC announced that it had recovered N3.6 million stolen from a bank account and returned it to the 86-year-old victim, Muhammed Mubi, in Yola, Adamawa state.
Mr. Mubi was said to be a retired Permanent Secretary of the Adamawa State Ministry of Education.
The agency also said in December 2021 that it reimbursed N326,000 that was illegally withdrawn from the bank account of a University of Benin (UNIBEN) student, Diemesor Gabriel.