The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, on Friday, handed over €5,100 proceeds of crime to the Spanish ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Sell.
The sum was recovered from a Nigerian romance fraudster for a Spanish victim, Heinz Uchtmann, by the EFCC in collaboration with the Spanish Police.
In a statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the commission’s chairman said the resources controlled by criminals worldwide outstrip the wealth of the technology industry.
Olukoyede added that the borderless nature of internet crimes has made collaboration and partnership among countries and law enforcement agencies essential.
He reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to making Nigeria a hostile environment for corrupt and fraudulent individuals.
The statement read partly, “It has become very imperative for us to understand that financial crimes have become a borderless crime. Sometimes, you will discover that they operate from a different country and get their victims in another country, and the proceeds of crime go to a different country.
“On our part, we are resolute to ensure that Nigeria is not made a safe haven for financial criminals and corrupt people. We do it to cleanse our system in collaboration with our partners across the world.
“We are much more ready to continue to do that. In the interest of both countries, we must do what we have to do. There must be mutual trust, mutual support for us to ensure that we cleanse the global financial ecosystem from being destroyed.”
In his response, Sell lauded the collaboration between the EFCC and the Spanish Police, saying, “Many times, you work on processes and you will never see the result of your endeavours, but what has made this special is the fact that we have seen the results of the efforts of the collaboration of two countries that are friends for the benefit of the citizens.
“Indeed, this is a joyful moment for all of us: those who were involved in the investigation and those who supervised it and made it happen.”