EFCC returns N108m recovered from fleeing Lagos firm staff

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has handed over N108 million recovered from an alleged fraud involving two former employees to Karren Walters Attorneys in Lagos.

The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the funds, presented in bank drafts, formed part of money recovered during an investigation into an alleged case of abuse of office, forgery, stealing and diversion involving two former employees of the company.

According to the EFCC, investigations revealed that the suspects, Nkechi Gladys Megai, who is currently at large after allegedly fleeing to the United Kingdom, and Godson Eze, a former Chief Financial Officer of the company, abused their positions by forging documents, creating fake invoices in the names of the company’s legitimate vendors and diverting funds through fraudulent transactions carried out over a period of time.

The commission added that the fraudulent payments ran into several hundreds of millions of naira.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, Bawa Usman Kaltungo, said the commission remained committed to ensuring that victims of economic and financial crimes obtained justice.

He said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission remains committed to ensuring that victims of economic and financial crimes obtain justice and, where possible, recover assets fraudulently obtained from them.”

Kaltungo added that the commission was determined to ensure that every person connected with the alleged fraud faced the law.

He said, “Efforts are ongoing to ensure that all persons connected with the fraud, including those who have fled the country, are brought to justice in accordance with the law.”

The EFCC noted that the company’s legal representatives commended the commission for its diligence in investigating the matter.

According to the statement, the lawyers “expressed appreciation to the EFCC for its painstaking investigation, professionalism and commitment to recovering the stolen funds.”

The commission added that the legal representatives also assured it that “the recovered money would go a long way towards mitigating the losses suffered by the company.”

The EFCC said investigations into the matter were continuing as it intensifies efforts to apprehend all those connected with the alleged fraud.