‘Investigators Did Not Provide Sureties For Ezekiel Joseph’ – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has refuted claims about its investigators providing sureties for Ezekiel Joseph Oyo, a suspected internet fraudster.

Earlier this year on 5th April 2023, the Abuja Zonal Command of the EFCC, arrested Oyo at the Life Camp area of Abuja metropolis.

The arrest was made sequel to discreet surveillance and actionable intelligence on his suspected involvement in internet fraud called Picking2, online romance and money laundering.

According to EFCC investigations revealed that the suspect was introduced to the fraudulent practice through one of his friends, Bruno, based in Germany.

In carrying out his “nefarious business” opened a wallet address with a username: [email protected].

EFCC said: “Through this wallet address, he received into his block chain a total fraudulent transaction of $3,982,260.91.

“He got the money from Remitano, a Visual Digital Company based in Seychelles on March 3, 2023. He benefitted $50,000.”

The commission further stated that upon his arrest, investigators at the Abuja Zonal Command of the Commission undertook his detailed profiling, granted him administrative bail with two sureties provided by him.

“It took his sureties three weeks to meet up with some modest bail conditions offered to them and Oyo was released after the conditions were met.

“Investigators recovered a total sum of $27,000 from him and the recovery was duly reported and documented.

“It is a blatant lie that investigators provided sureties for him. Would Sureties provided by investigators spend three weeks to perfect Oyo’s bail conditions, if indeed they were provided by them?

“The purported $107,000 ascribed to EFCC investigators is untrue and unfounded. How could a suspect that benefitted $ 50,000 from his transactions offer $107,000 as bribe? Every wild claim made against investigators at the Abuja Zonal Command are mere trumped-up fabrications and should be ignored,” EFCC refuted.

EFCC also noted that all items recovered from him, including a Mercedes Benz C43 AMG, are in the custody of the Commission, but Oyo jumped bail and efforts are being made to bring him to trial for money laundering offences.