The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over €5,100 in proceeds of crime to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Sell.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
In his remark at the event, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said the sum was recovered from a Nigerian fraudster for a Spanish romance victim, Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann.
Olukoyede, who handed over the deed of release on behalf of the Federal Government, thanked the Spanish government for its support to Nigeria over the years.
He noted that the asset recovery and handover demonstrated the cordial relationship and collaboration between both countries and their law enforcement agencies.
“I would like to thank you for all the support over the years on behalf of your country that you have been giving to Nigeria.
“And also finding Nigeria a conducive place to carry out your diplomatic work and encouraging investors from Spain to come to Nigeria and invest.
”On our part as a law enforcement agency, the event here today is a testament of the collaboration between Nigeria and Spain and also between the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria and those in Spain,” the EFCC boss stated.
He noted that the borderless nature of internet crimes had made collaboration and partnership among countries and law enforcement compelling.
He expressed the commission’s resolve to make the country unconducive for the corrupt and the fraudulent.
“It has become very imperative for us to understand that financial crimes have become a borderless crime.
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”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 path, 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 and support for us to ensure that we cleanse the global financial ecosystem from being destroyed,” Olukoyede added.
In his response, the Spanish envoy expressed happiness at the collaboration between the EFCC and his country’s police.
He pledged the commitment of the Spanish government to strengthen the collaboration and take it higher.
“Many times you work on processes and you will never see the end 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 which 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,” Sell added.
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