EFCC secures final forfeiture of $163,592 stolen from US law firm

The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, has actually purchased the last forfeit of $163,592 fraudulently acquired by a suspect, Akpasi Michael Oziegbe, in a worldwide scams including a United States-based law practice. In a declaration on Friday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated the judge, M.S. Liman, gave the non-conviction-based forfeit after Mr Oziegbe stopped working to develop ownership of the funds.

The cash was traced to the domestic account of Micoz Bluelink Enterprise, run by Mr Oziegbe, at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.

The EFCC stated Mr Oziegbe impersonated a previous staff member of Applied Industrial Technologies, Edward Campbell, who sustained a mishap while on responsibility, to trick the law practice of Steven J. Mandel & & Co. into launching settlement funds.

It included that the law practice got an ask for legal representation on June 27, 2022, from a specific determining himself as Edward Campbell.

The impersonator declared he was looking for to implement a settlement arrangement with his previous company over a mishap occurring from his work, declaring that the business had actually stopped working to pay the agreed payment.

The law practice was notified that Applied Industrial Technologies released a cheque of $165,157 on behalf of Mr Campbell. Performing on the impersonator’s demand, the company subtracted its legal charges and moved $163,592 to the designated account on July 20, 2022.

On July 21, 2022, JP Morgan Chase Bank alerted the law company that the cheque was modified and fictitious. The law office afterwards gotten in touch with Applied Industrial Technologies, validated the deal was deceptive, and reported the event to the United States Secret Service.

UBA flagged the inflow as suspicious, looked for verification through its reporter bank, Citibank, and put a lien on the funds after JP Morgan Chase Bank asked for a refund. Mr Oziegbe declared the cash was payment for products provided to the United States however stopped working to offer files to show his claim.

The EFCC had actually previously protected a freezing order on September 9, 2024, and an interim forfeit order on August 15, 2025, welcoming interested celebrations to justify why the cash ought to not be lastly surrendered. The commission previously stated Oziegbe desired in connection with the scams.