FBI To Seize Nigeria Man Assets For Defrauding Trump-Vance Inaugural Funds

osazuwaakonedo

FBI To Seize Nigeria Man Assets For Defrauding Trump-Vance Inaugural Funds https://osazuwaakonedo.news/fbi-to-seize-nigeria-man-assets-for-defrauding-trump-vance-inaugural-funds/05/07/2025/ #World News #EFCC #FBI #Nigeria #Trump #US #Vance ©July 5th, 2025 ®July 5, 2025 2:41 pm United States, US Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI has filed a lawsuit against a Nigeria citizen, Ehiremen Aigbokhan for allegedly defrauding the US President, Donald Trump and his Vice, JD Vance the sum of ₦460 million by thus sending fake email messages to US citizens in December 2024 to contribute and help to fund the presidential inauguration ceremony of Trump and Vance, this notwithstanding, Nigeria Government has shown great commitment in helping the United States and other countries in the world recovered funds stolen by Nigerians from Foreigners as it was evidenced in one of such occasions earlier this year when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC handed over billions of naira equivalent to Charles Smith, the Legal Attache of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI at the Embassy of the United States in Nigeria and representatives of other countries whose citizens were victims of cybercrimes committed by Nigerians, while the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukayode also used the occasion of the handing over ceremony to call and appealed to foreign countries to always help recover and restitute Nigerians who are victims of fraud committed by citizens of other countries. #OsazuwaAkonedo

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00:00United States, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI has filed a lawsuit against a Nigeria citizen,

00:08Heharamane Gokhan for allegedly defrauding the U.S. President, Donald Trump and his vice,

00:13J.D. Vance the sum of 460 million nairas by thus sending fake email messages to U.S. citizens in

00:21December 2024 to contribute and help to fund the presidential inauguration ceremony of Trump and

00:28Vance. This notwithstanding, Nigeria government has shown great commitment in helping the United

00:34States and other countries in the world recovered funds stolen by Nigerians from foreigners as it

00:40was evidenced in one of such occasions earlier this year when the Economic and Financial Crimes

00:45Commission, EFCC handed over billions of naira equivalent to Charles Smith, the legal attaché of

00:52the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI at the Embassy of the United States in Nigeria and

00:58representatives of other countries whose citizens were victims of cybercrimes committed by Nigerians,

01:04while the EFCC chairman, Ola Ola Kiyode also used the occasion of the handing over ceremony to call

01:11and appealed to foreign countries to always help recover and restitute Nigerians who are victims

01:16of fraud committed by citizens of other countries. People's Gazette News Media reported that the

01:22court documents as seen by the media, the Federal Bureau of Investigation filed a civil forfeiture

01:28complaint to seize property belonging to Lagos-based, suspected, fraudster, Ehremen Aebokken for,

01:34allegedly, stealing more than 460 million nairas in funds meant for U.S. President Donald Trump's

01:41inauguration. The FBI is also actively pursuing an arrest warrant for Mr. Aebokken in connection with

01:49a cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted a donor intending to contribute to

01:54the Trump Vance inaugural committee. According to legal filings seen by People's Gazette,

02:00Mr. Aebokken and his co-conspirators carried out a sophisticated fraudulent operation using the

02:06notorious business email compromise scheme to trick their victims into sending money to

02:10cryptocurrency accounts belonging to them. In the weeks leading up to the inauguration on January 20,

02:172025, the FBI reported that fraudsters created several fake email addresses to mimic the legitimate

02:24ones used for the ceremony, which they sent to dozens of people, requesting donations for Mr.

02:29Trump's swearing-in ceremony. On December 26, 2024, one of these fake emails, with the address at

02:37T-47Inaugural.com, was sent to a victim to mimic a T-47Inaugural.com, the official email of the

02:45co-chair of the Trump Vance inaugural committee, Steve Wichtoff. The victim subsequently sent 250,300

02:54USDT, ETH to the criminals. The 250,300 USDT ETH is estimated to be worth over 400 million nairas at the

03:05current black market rate. Within days of receiving the money, the perpetrators immediately dispersed

03:11215,000 USDT. ETH to several crypto wallets before the FBI caught wind of the scam and requested crypto

03:20operator Tether to freeze the accounts, which the company voluntarily adhered to on December 31,

03:27court documents showed. Following the scam, the FBI immediately launched an investigation into the

03:33matter, and records of the crypto address associated with the scheme were traced back to Mr. Abokan in

03:39Lagos. Investigations by the FBI revealed that part of the stolen funds were transferred to a

03:46Binance.com account registered to Mr. Abokan, who created the account in October 2024. The Binance account

03:54had no prior deposits before receiving transfers from the scam wallet. Further digital forensics linked the

04:01fraudulent email accounts and cryptocurrency transactions to Nigeria, with IP address data

04:06consistently tracing logins and email activity to Lagos, corroborating the connection to Mr. Abokan.

04:13The agency said 20,017 USDT ETH was seized from Mr. Abokan's wallet. And another 20,336 USDT ETH from

04:26hexadecimal C7BDBA7FFB126F68E8454C, totaling over 60 million nairas in black market rate, which Rick

04:37Blaylock Jr., the assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, is asking the court to declare

04:43its forfeiture. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the government agency against internet

04:51fraud and all other fraudulent practices in Nigeria is yet to issue any statement over the media report.

04:57It would be recalled that the EFCC assisted the U.S. and other foreign countries whose citizens were

05:03defrauded by Nigerians, recovered the stolen funds and returned the recovered loot to the U.S. and other

05:09countries on one of such occasions on February 21st, 2025, which EFCC handed over a total sum of $132,362.43,

05:2378,566,324 nairas and 81 kobos to American, Spanish and Swiss victims of local fraudsters.

05:34The Commission described the move as a gesture of its commitment to tackling economic and financial

05:39crimes and offering restitution to victims of fraudulent practices. According to a statement by

05:46the EFCC, the handover was performed by its chairman, Ola Olakoyed, on Friday, February 21st,

05:532025 at the EFCC's corporate headquarters in Jabi, Abuja. EFCC chairman Ola Olakoyed speaking

06:02during the presentation said that, the event is a demonstration of the commitment of the federal

06:07government of Nigeria and that of President Bola Ahmed Tenubu to the fight against corruption and

06:12financial crimes. A commitment to good governance, a commitment to stimulating the economy and a

06:19commitment to prove to the entire world that Nigeria is not a safe haven for financial crimes,

06:25a commitment to international cooperation and international synergy in the fight against

06:29financial crimes, which you will agree with me, has become a global crime. The statement also read,

06:37we are here to demonstrate that the federal government of Nigeria, through the Economic and

06:41Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is ready to do everything possible to prevent financial crimes

06:48from being perpetrated in our system. And when one has taken place, to investigate where assets are

06:54involved, to trace, to recover and where necessary, prosecute. We don't just recover, we restitute the

07:01victims. We are here this morning to restitute those who were victimized through the perpetration

07:07of economic and financial crimes. It is important to know that once the proceeds of crime are recovered,

07:14the most responsible thing to do is to restitute the victims. Handed over in addition to money of

07:19vehicles and real estate to citizens of Spain, the United States of America and Switzerland.

07:26Acting Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Maria Higan Velasco received the sum of $1,300 and evidence

07:33of 30 million nairas already transferred to the Embassy of Spain in Nigeria for onward transmission

07:39to a victim, Maria del Rosario San Jose. Florent Peel, Senior Political Officer, First Secretary,

07:47Embassy of Switzerland received $100,011.43, $100,011.43 on behalf of a victim, Chanty Helen Lavancy,

08:00formerly known as Chanty Helen Maida. Charles Smith, Legal Attaché, Federal Bureau of Investigation,

08:07FBI, Embassy of the United States received the sum of $7,344, $7,344, $7,963,483 nairas and 35 kobos,

08:25Bitcoin cryptocurrency valued at $4,470, $4,470 on behalf of the United States Embassy in Nigeria

08:43for onward transmission to a victim, Maria Jesus Brockel. Also received by Smith was Mercedes-Benz

08:51E554 Matic chassis number, WDDHF 9AB6AA1111112, Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG with chassis number,

09:04WDD20J0641F282467, and one residential bungalow, located at 1719th Siemen Street.

09:15Ongua Meguro, Koduna, Koduna State on behalf of the United States Embassy in Nigeria for onward

09:23transmission to the crime victim. Additionally, Smith received the sum of $7,527, $7,527 on behalf

09:35of the United States Embassy in Nigeria for onward transmission to the victim of the crime,

09:40Michael Smith. He also received the sum of $11,710, $11,710, on behalf of the United States Embassy

09:52in Nigeria for onward transmission to the crime victim, Chareel Williams. Lastly, Smith received the sum of

10:0032,639,358 nairas and 11 kobos, $32,639,358 naira, 11 kobo, on behalf of the United States Embassy in

10:15Nigeria for onward transmission to the crime victim, Marva Maro. In her remarks, Her Excellency Velasco

10:23expressed gratitude, adding,

10:25This is a sign of the collaboration between Nigeria and Spain, and we are very grateful for

10:30this collaboration. Smith said,

10:33As the FBI legal attaché and the representative of the US government, I want to say we personally

10:39appreciate this. Many here may not understand what the impact this has to the victims.

10:45This gives them complete closure and it allows them to feel whole again.

10:49So we really do appreciate and we thank the EFCC. The EFCC is just not operating in Nigeria.

10:58The EFCC is a major global contender, and you should recognize that every time.

11:04On behalf of the government of Switzerland, you'll thank the government of Nigeria and EFCC

11:09for the recovery and restitution. I thank the Nigerian government and especially the EFCC

11:15for the work they have done to combat internet fraud and other financial crimes.

11:21Today's restitution of money obtained from a Swiss citizen demonstrates the effectiveness

11:25but also integrity, professionalism, courage and collaboration that occur between Nigeria

11:31and Switzerland. So, thank you for this exemplary collaboration and work in making the digital

11:37world safer and better regulated. Switzerland will continue to work alongside the Nigerian government

11:44in the service of the security of our respective people. So, thank you again, he said.

11:50The Permanent Secretary, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Umar Ahmed, thanked Olikoyed for his efforts

11:57in the anti-corruption fight and conveyed the felicitation of the Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs,

12:03Yusuf Tugger and the Ministry to the EFCC and the Nigerian government. According to him,

12:08this is really an unprecedented development, and you cannot believe the impact that this development

12:14will have on the mandate of the ministry, because it makes our work a whole lot easier because it

12:19really enhances the credibility of Nigeria in the international scene. And it will also go a long

12:25way in restoring investors' confidence in the country. And the ministry is very well with you

12:31in pursuing this mandate and want to thank you for this initiative. It demonstrates the support of our

12:37President, Bola Ahmed Tanubu in the fight against corruption and also in strengthening the EFCC

12:43in carrying out its mandate. All of us in the ministry are really happy with this development

12:49and we'll keep on working with you and supporting you and in carrying your mandate.

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