Court orders forfeiture of N17.1m linked to alleged romance fraud — EFCC
Federal High Court Orders Forfeiture of N17.1 Million Linked to Alleged Romance Fraud
LAGOS—The Federal High Court in Lagos has mandated the final forfeiture of ₦17,100,595.40 to the Federal Government, linking the funds to an alleged romance fraud scheme under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice A.O. Owoeye issued the order on June 1, 2026, following an application presented by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate through counsel C.C. Okezie.
According to a statement from the EFCC, the funds, which are held in an Access Bank account, are associated with Ifeanyi Alele David, who is being investigated for suspected involvement in romance scams and related offenses.
Previously, on February 26, 2026, the court had granted an interim forfeiture of the money, instructing the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to provide any interested parties an opportunity to contest the forfeiture.
During the final forfeiture hearing, Okezie informed the court that the commission had complied with the directive by publishing the interim forfeiture notice in The Punch on April 10, 2026. She confirmed that no party had come forth to challenge the forfeiture within the required timeframe.
The EFCC’s case was bolstered by an affidavit from operative Samson Aguma, which detailed investigations conducted into the matter. Aguma revealed that the EFCC received a petition from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alleging that David was connected to a romance scam cited in the death of a U.S. citizen.
The affidavit stated that a victim of this alleged scam died by suicide in a hotel room in Denver, Colorado on September 15, 2021. Investigators retrieved the victim’s mobile phone and discovered numerous messages exchanged with an individual identified as “Garry Micheal” on Google Hangouts.
It was reported that the suspect continued to solicit funds from the victim using various fabricated narratives, including requests for money to secure his release from prison and to travel back to the United States.
Aguma indicated that the victim was asked for an additional $60,000 on the day of her death, despite having expressed her financial hardships. The FBI’s investigation further uncovered that the victim transferred approximately $154,500 to multiple channels associated with the alleged scam between August 30 and September 13, 2021.
Forensic investigations traced accounts, internet protocol addresses, telephone records, and an Apple iCloud account linked to the fraud activities back to David in Nigeria. Aguma concluded that the ₦17,100,595.40 found in David’s Access Bank account was likely proceeds from unlawful activities tied to the alleged scam.
After reviewing the evidence and arguments presented, Justice Owoeye determined that the EFCC’s application had merit and consequently ordered the forfeiture of ₦17.1 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
