RismadarVoice Reporters, March 13, 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday handed over a total of $225,895 and ₦62,790,000 recovered from fraud cases to victims from the United States of America and South Africa.
The restitution ceremony, held on March 13, 2026, was presided over by the Secretary to the Commission, Mohammed Hammajoda, and attended by representatives of the affected countries, including Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Mike Fukuda, and the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, Lindi Mminele.
Speaking at the event, Hammajoda described corruption as a global challenge requiring collective action, noting that economic and financial crimes transcend national borders.
“Corruption is like a cancer that eats into every fabric of our lives. It is cross-border in nature; therefore, we must join hands collectively to defeat it,” he said.
He reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to ensuring that proceeds of crime recovered by the Commission are returned to their rightful owners, whether individuals, corporate organisations or governments. He also urged international partners across America, Europe, Asia and Africa to reciprocate cooperation in asset recovery efforts involving Nigeria.
During the ceremony, Mike Fukuda received funds on behalf of American victims, including Drago Boskovic, Anh Ngoc Nguyen, Holly Ngo and others.
Similarly, the Acting South African High Commissioner, Lindi Mminele, alongside the victim company’s legal representative, Elisha Sunday, received $50,000 on behalf of Ennis-Flint Africa Limited, a South African firm.
Mminele commended the EFCC for its dedication to restitution and the fight against financial crimes, stating that the Commission’s efforts had reinforced confidence in cross-border collaboration.
Also speaking, Sunday praised the agency’s commitment to combating economic crimes and strengthening Nigeria’s reputation in the global financial system.
On his part, Fukuda described the EFCC as a “world-class organisation,” expressing the FBI’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the Commission in ensuring justice for victims of fraud.
The restitution exercise underscores the EFCC’s ongoing drive to enhance international collaboration, asset recovery and accountability in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
