The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 120 suspected internet fraudsters, including 25 females, in coordinated operations across various locations in Lagos State.
According to EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the suspects comprising 95 males and 25 females were apprehended by operatives of the Commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on Monday, May 19, 2025, following credible intelligence and intensive surveillance.
Items recovered during the raids included 26 exotic cars, expensive jewellery, smartphones, laptops, and several incriminating documents. Oyewale disclosed that the suspects are currently undergoing further investigation and will be charged to court upon conclusion of the process.
In a related development, the EFCC also announced the arrest of Bashir Bello Ibrahim, a former Kaduna State government contractor and Chief Executive Officer of Formal Act Legacy Limited. He is accused of orchestrating a N30 billion fraud involving fictitious contracts and impersonation.
The Kaduna Zonal Directorate arrested Ibrahim following 251 petitions alleging that he continued to pose as a consultant for all 23 local government areas in Kaduna State and the United Charity Foundation, despite the termination of his contract in October 2023.
According to the EFCC, Ibrahim falsely claimed to have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kaduna State Government to source grants from global donor agencies. Though the MoU was revoked due to non-performance, he allegedly awarded fake contracts, collected goods from contractors, and resold them without payment.
Recovered items included Toyota Hilux vans, ambulances, buses, dispatch motorcycles, generators, and a large stockpile of medical equipment and drugs—many of which were stored in substandard conditions.
The EFCC affirmed that investigations are ongoing and the suspects will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
