EFCC secures final forfeiture of $163,592 proceeds of US fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has secured the final forfeiture of $163,592 obtained through an alleged fraud involving a United States-based law firm and a Nigerian businessman, Akpasi Oziegbe.

Trial judge M. S. Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the forfeiture order on Friday after an application by the EFCC.

According to a statement by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the judge held that Mr Oziegbe failed to establish legitimate ownership of the money, which the commission traced to his domiciliary account operated under the name Micoz Bluelink Enterprise at United Bank for Africa (UBA).

The statement noted that Mr Oziegbe obtained the money by impersonating Edward Campbell, a former employee of Applied Industrial Technologies, a US company, who had sustained an accident at work.

The commission said Mr Oziegbe approached Steven J. Mandel & Co., a US law firm, on 27 June 2022, posing as Mr Campbell and claiming that the company had failed to pay an agreed settlement arising from the workplace accident.

Information obtained from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) showed that the law firm was later informed that Applied Industrial Technologies had issued a cheque for $165,157 to Mr Campbell as settlement.

The impersonator instructed the lawyers to deduct their fees and transfer the balance to a bank account he supplied.

The firm transferred $163,592 to the account on 20 July 2022. The following day, JPMorgan Chase Bank notified the lawyers that the cheque had been altered and was fictitious.

The law firm contacted Applied Industrial Technologies, confirmed the fraud and reported the matter to the US Secret Service and the FBI.

UBA had also flagged the transaction as suspicious and sought confirmation through its correspondent bank, Citi Bank. After confirming the transaction was fraudulent, UBA placed a lien on the funds following a refund request from JPMorgan Chase Bank.

Mr Oziegbe later petitioned the EFCC, accusing some UBA officials of conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money under false pretences.

The commission stated that its Extractive Industry Fraud Section began investigating the matter in May 2024 after receiving a petition from GAIA & Montgomery Legal on his behalf.

However, the EFCC said its investigation, supported by information and documents from the FBI, established that the money came from the alleged fraudulent transaction and not from any legitimate business deal.

Mr Oziegbe had claimed that the money was payment for materials supplied to the United States, but the commission said he failed to provide documents to support the claim.

The EFCC obtained an order freezing the account on 9 September 2024 in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1297/2024 to prevent the withdrawal of the funds.

On 15 August 2025, the court granted an interim forfeiture order over the money and directed anyone with an interest in it to show cause why it should not be finally forfeited.

Prosecution lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), led the EFCC’s legal team in securing the final forfeiture order.

The commission said the money was to be forfeited to Steven J. Mandel & Co. through the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The EFCC had earlier declared Mr Oziegbe wanted in connection with the alleged fraud.