EFCC Arraigns Suspect Wanted By FBI Over Alleged Cryptocurrency Account Takeover

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned 1 Godslove Munachiso Obiwuru, a 26-year-old fishy wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), earlier Justice M. T. Segun-Bello of the Federal High Court sitting successful Independence Layout, Enugu, connected a two-count complaint bordering connected wealth laundering.

Count 1 of the complaint reads: “That you, Godslove Munachiso Obiwuru, sometime successful 2022 wrong the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, retained 0.042 Ethereum (digital currency) equivalent to $50 (Fifty United States Dollars) successful a Binance wallet relationship with the code 0xD62C9DA42BDe76a7Be113ABA225456C57320A569 which you cognize oregon reasonably ought to know, is simply a proceed of an unlawful enactment and thereby committed an offence punishable nether Section 20 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

He, however, pleaded “not guilty” to the 2 counts. In presumption of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE I A.Y Abdullahi, prayed the tribunal for a proceedings day and for the suspect to beryllium remanded astatine a Correctional facility.

However, the defence counsel, Abel Anih, prayed the tribunal for a abbreviated day to alteration him record an exertion for bail earlier the court.

The substance was, thereafter, adjourned for proceeding of bail exertion portion the suspect was remanded successful the EFCC custody.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said the suspect was arrested connected August 5, 2025, pursuing a petition by the FBI alleging that the suspect was progressive successful auctioning cryptocurrency relationship takeover scheme.

According to the petition, successful November 2022, a Coinbase cryptocurrency belonging to a national of the United States of America was compromised, starring to the theft of 90,410.126 Gold Retriever Tokens (GLDN), worthy astir $307,394.00, astatine that time.

Further probe by the FBI revealed that portion of the stolen cryptocurrency funds were transferred to a Binance relationship belonging to the defendant.

However, preliminary investigations by operatives of the Special Task Force of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft Commission, revealed that the suspect received cryptocurrency allegedly stolen from 2 different victims.