The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday gave a house, a sport utility vehicle (SUV), and other items taken from a convicted romance scammer to an Australian woman.
A statement from EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said they handed the items to the victim, Karo Kazzi, through her lawyer, Blessing Nwankwo, at the EFCC's Lagos Zonal Directorate 2.
The recovered items include a gold wedding ring, a gold chain with a cross pendant, an iPhone 12 Pro Max, a Lexus RX350 SUV, and a one-story building with six room-and-parlour self-contained apartments located along the Emedu, Awoyaya axis of Ajah, Lagos.
These properties were taken from Odey Aleka, who was convicted for a romance scam and had obtained these items through deceit.
During the handover ceremony, the Acting Zonal Director of EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Bawa Kaltungo, said the commission is serious about making sure that victims of economic and financial crimes get justice by recovering assets fraudulently taken from them when possible.
"The EFCC is committed to ensuring that victims of economic and financial crimes obtain justice and, where possible, recover assets fraudulently obtained from them," Mr Kaltungo said. "We will also continue to investigate and prosecute those who commit such crimes."
The EFCC said this handover followed a final forfeiture order from Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja on 12 March 2024.
According to the commission, the case started after Ms Nwankwo wrote to them on behalf of Ms Kazzi, claiming that Mr Aleka had defrauded her.
Investigators found that Mr Aleka, who had been married to the Australian woman, tricked her into giving him valuables and other assets through lies.
The victim later started divorce proceedings through her lawyer, who also contacted the EFCC, leading to an investigation and the eventual prosecution of the suspect.
Mr Aleka faced charges of romance fraud and obtaining by false pretence. He was found guilty and given a one-year prison sentence with an option of N1 million fine.
The court also ordered that all assets taken from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government as restitution for the victim.
The EFCC completed all the legal steps needed for the release of these forfeited assets before officially handing them to the victim's lawyer on Wednesday.
This latest restitution shows the commission's growing focus on helping victims of financial crimes recover assets linked to convicted fraudsters. In recent years, the EFCC has stepped up its fight against cyber-enabled crimes, especially romance scams and other forms of internet fraud that often target victims across borders.
Beyond getting convictions, the commission has been increasingly seeking court orders to recover and return crime proceeds to victims where the law allows.
This case also highlights the rising cross-border nature of romance scams, which have become a big worry for law enforcement agencies around the world as fraudsters use online relationships to trick victims into giving away money and valuable assets.
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