The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu Zonal Directorate, has commenced investigation into a 38-year-old man, Raheem Abiodun Wasiu, over an alleged $12,000 fraud involving Bureau de Change (BDC) operators.
Wasiu was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) following a complaint by Ezekulie Stanley Chukwumuanya, a BDC operator, who alleged that the suspect defrauded him of $`5,000.
The EFCC said preliminary investigations showed that Wasiu allegedly rented Toyota Hilux trucks and presented himself as a wealthy contractor while meeting BDC operators in parts of the South-East.
The Commission alleged that the suspect used fake naira bank transfer alerts to convince BDC operators that he had paid for dollars after collecting the foreign currency from them.
Chukwumuanya alleged that he gave Wasiu `$5,000 after the suspect counted and confirmed the money. He said Wasiu then requested his bank details and claimed that the naira equivalent had been transferred to his account.
According to him, he waited for the alert but did not receive it.
He said Wasiu blamed the delay on network problems and asked him to leave, after which the suspect allegedly stopped answering his calls.
Another petitioner, Chief Nwaoha Ubaferem of Owerri, Imo State, alleged that Wasiu defrauded him of $`7,000 using a similar method.
Ubaferem said he initially had $2,600 and contacted his office to provide an additional $4,400 to complete the `$7,000 requested by Wasiu.
He alleged that Wasiu later collected the $7,000 from him at Royce Road and claimed that the naira equivalent had been transferred. Ubaferem said he continued waiting for the payment alert, which he did not receive.
The EFCC said further investigation revealed that the suspect allegedly travelled across parts of the South-East and Akwa Ibom State, where he reportedly used the same method to target BDC operators.
Items recovered from Wasiu include a Toyota Hilux truck with registration number KTR 379 AA, several bank ATM cards, bank transfer tokens, a digital National Identification Number slip bearing the name Sunday Abiodun and two complimentary cards bearing the name Engineer Abiodun.
Other recovered items include a designer bag, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, a Samsung phone, a 4G pocket Wi-Fi, a Patek Philippe wristwatch, vehicle documents, a gold bangle and a pair of Alexander McQueen shoes.
The EFCC added that Wasiu would be charged to court after investigations are concluded.