News

EFCC arrests Abiona, another wanted FBI suspect

Published

February 11, 2020

After eight months of launching manhunt for a notorious yahoo fraudster, the Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) has finally arrested a 38 year old Nigerian, Festus Abiona.

Abiona was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) of the United States over his alleged involvements in internet fraud.

He was alleged to have benefited more than N120 million from the loot of the Internet fraud.

He was said to have been arrested in his hideout at Arepo, Ogun state last week Wednesday.

The EFCC in a statement signed by Wilson Uwujaren, head of Publicity and Media said that Abiona had been on the wanted list of the Commission for more than eight months over the alleged fraud case before luck ran against him and was finally arrested in his hideout.

“The Anti Graft body was able to fish him out last week Wednesday 6th of February 2020 in his beautifully built duplex in Arepo Ogun State despite the fact that he has refused to step out of his house since he got wind of the EFCC/FBI case for the past five months because of fear of being arrested but as the slogan of the EFCC says that ‘Wherever you are,EFCC will get you’, the statement said.

“In the petition dated 10th of July 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigations alleged the suspect was involved in business email comprises (BEC) and other computer enabled fraud.

The petition stated further that ” In may 2016, the FBI received information that an actor or actors bypassed online security to steal money from retirement accounts held by an insurance company for Public Workers in the United States, which resulted in the loss of approximately $2,500, 000.

“Investigation into the case by the Commission revealed that the person behind the business email compromise is Festus Akinyemi Abiona and his syndicate members.Millions of naira have been traced to his bank accounts and some of the emails used in perpetrating the fruad have been taken over from the suspect.

“The petition explained further that ” The accounts contained numerous communications between Abiona and other criminals co-conspirators seeking to commit business email compromise ( BEC), Tax Refund Fraud, and other Computer enabled fraud.

“It was gathered that the Suspect on sighting the operatives of the EFCC flushsd all his sim cards into the toilet and destroyed all his Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) in order to destroy evidence”, the statement revealed.