EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of $163,592 in US Law Firm Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the final forfeiture of $163,592 fraudulently obtained by one Akpasi Michael Oziegbe through an alleged impersonation and international fraud scheme involving a United States-based law firm.
The forfeiture order was granted on Friday, November 6, 2026, by Justice M. S. Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, following an application by the EFCC. Prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, led the EFCC legal team to secure the forfeiture order.
Deciding on the non-conviction order, the court held that Oziegbe failed to establish ownership of the said funds. Justice Liman held that the accused illegally procured the services of the law firm to secure the settlement sum from a company he was not an employee.
The money, which was traced to the domiciliary account of Micoz Bluelink Enterprise, operated by Oziegbe, was fraudulently obtained from the United States-based company, Applied Industrial Technologies, through the impersonation of one Edward Campbell.
Investigations by the EFCC had revealed that Oziegbe impersonated Campbell, a former employee of the company who had sustained an accident while on duty, to deceive the Law Firm of Steven J. Mandel & Co. into facilitating the fraudulent release of settlement funds.
According to information obtained from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the law firm received a request for legal representation on June 27, 2022, from an individual identifying himself as Edward Campbell.
The impersonator claimed that he was seeking to enforce a settlement agreement reached with his former employer, Applied Industrial Technologies, over an accident arising from his employment. He further alleged that the company had failed to pay the agreed settlement.
Following the request, the law firm was informed that a cheque of $165,157 had been issued by Applied Industrial Technologies on behalf of Campbell.
He subsequently instructed the law firm to deduct its legal fees and transfer the balance to the bank account details he supplied.
Acting on the instructions, the law firm transferred $163,592 to the designated account on July 20, 2022. The money was subsequently credited to the domiciliary account of Micoz Bluelink Enterprise with United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.
However, on July 21, 2022, JP Morgan Chase Bank notified the law firm that the cheque was altered and fictitious. The law firm thereafter contacted Applied Industrial Technologies and discovered that the transaction was fraudulent.
The law firm promptly reported the incident to the United States secret service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI.
Further investigations revealed that UBA had flagged the inflow as suspicious and initiated a reconfirmation process through its correspondent bank, Citi Bank. The bank subsequently received a communication confirming the fraudulent nature of the transaction, alongside a refund request from JP Morgan Chase Bank on grounds of unjust enrichment.
UBA consequently placed a lien on the funds, prompting Oziegbe to petition the EFCC over alleged misconduct by some officials of the bank.
The EFCC's investigation, however, established that the funds originated from the alleged fraudulent transaction involving the American law firm and were not legitimate proceeds of any supply transaction, as claimed by Oziegbe.
The Commission also established that Oziegbe failed to provide relevant documents to substantiate his claim that the money represented payment for materials supplied to the United States.
The EFCC's Extractive Industry Fraud Section (EIFS) commenced investigations following a petition received in May 2024 from GAIA & Montgomery Legal on behalf of Oziegbe, alleging conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money under false pretences against some UBA officials.
In the course of the investigation, the Commission obtained information and supporting documents from the FBI, which provided details of the fraudulent transaction and the circumstances surrounding the transfer.
The Commission had earlier secured an order freezing the account on September 9, 2024, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1297/2024, to prevent the dissipation of the funds pending the conclusion of investigations.
It subsequently obtained an interim forfeiture order on August 15, 2025, directing the forfeiture of the $163,592 and inviting interested parties to show cause why the money should not be finally forfeited to the Law Firm of Steven J. Mandel & Co. through the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The EFCC had earlier declared Oziegbe wanted in connection with the fraud.
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