By Emmanuel Nduka
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 792 suspects in a major raid on a building allegedly used as a hub for international online fraud.
The suspects according to the EFCC, includes 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals.
They were detained on December 10 at the seven-storey Big Leaf Building in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, said the luxury building operated as a call center targeting victims from the Americas and Europe. Fraudsters lured people through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, offering romance or fake investment opportunities, particularly in cryptocurrency.
According to the EFCC, once trust was gained, victims were pressured to transfer funds into fraudulent schemes. Uwujaren said Nigerian accomplices initially contacted victims, while their foreign partners handled the defrauding process.
Computers, phones, and vehicles were seized during the raid.
The EFCC said it is working with international partners to investigate possible links to organized crime.
