The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has declared about 59 suspects wanted for various fraudulent activities amounting to about N435bn and $397,758,000.
Among the 59 were four Rivers State government officials including the Accountant-General of the State, Fubara Siminayi, wanted over suspected N117 billion fraud, alleged criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and misappropriation of public funds and abuse of office.
The EFCC also declared other Rivers State Government officials, comprising two men and one woman, identified as Lekia V. Bukpor, Dagogo Rodderick Abere, and the only woman among them, Harrisonba Bessi Princewill, a cashier, wanted over alleged criminal conspiracy, money laundering, misappropriation of public funds and abuse of office to the tune of N117billion.
The suspects were declared wanted by the EFCC for offences ranging from money laundering to obtaining money by false pretence, fraud, internet-related offences and issuance of dud cheques.
According to the EFCC, the suspects, “in their capacity as signatories to the Rivers State Government account, are alleged to have acted as proxies to several government officials, conspired and fraudulently withdrawn and diverted the sum between 2015 and 2018.”
EFCC head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, called on anyone with useful information as to the whereabouts of the said persons, whose pictures were displayed on its website to contact any of the commission’s offices or the nearest police station or other security agencies.
Another major suspect on the wanted lists is one Maxwell, wanted by the EFCC in an alleged case of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering to the tune of N213bn.
He ran a trading and capital company, in which many investors’ funds got trapped.
A native of Plateau State, identified as Noel, was declared wanted in a case bordering on conspiracy, theft and money laundering to the tune of N131 million. He was said to be a former staff of First City Monument Bank in Birni Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Also, a former personal assistant to a former governor of Kwara State, was said to have signed for and laundered about N12 billion belonging to the state government. The suspect was said to have jumped bail granted to him by the commission and had remained incommunicado.
A Nigerien, identified as Hima, was declared wanted by the commission over alleged criminal conspiracy, contract scam, misappropriation of public funds, money laundering and fraud to the tune of $394m, €9.9m and N369 million.
He was alleged to have received the sum for the purchase of equipment for the Nigerian military. It was later discovered that there were discrepancies in the supply of the equipment.
Similarly, a 27-year-old Yusuf, who hails from Ibeju Lekki in Lagos State, was declared wanted over alleged conspiracy and business email compromise to the tune of $2.2 million while one Sewanu, also from Lagos, was declared wanted for alleged false pretence, names-dropping and fraud to the tune of N32 million.
Oluwole is on the list for allegedly receiving fraudulently imported apples worth $158,000 from a South African company. He was said to have refused to remit the payment for products.
