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| EFCC Returns Recovered Millions |
A businessman, Ebesunun Mathew Edonojie, has received an additional ₦42 million recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bringing the total amount recovered in a long-running cement supply fraud case to ₦158 million.
The cheque was presented on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, by the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC's Benin Zonal Directorate, Deputy Commander Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, who reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to ensuring victims of financial crimes receive justice.
According to the EFCC, Edonojie, a cement trader, petitioned the Commission in 2022 after alleging that Ogiemwonyi Godwin defrauded him during a cement supply transaction. The businessman explained that he paid ₦350.784 million for the delivery of 116 truckloads of cement, but only 58 trucks were supplied.
The undelivered 58 trucks, valued at ₦175.392 million, represented the financial loss suffered by the businessman.
Investigations by the anti-graft agency revealed that the suspect transferred ₦280 million to Dangote Cement Company for part of the transaction but diverted the remaining ₦70 million for personal use. Following the partial delivery of cement, the suspect reportedly became unreachable, making recovery efforts more difficult.
Despite the setback, EFCC operatives continued tracking the case and earlier recovered ₦116 million, which had already been returned to the victim. The latest recovery of ₦42 million increases the total amount refunded to ₦158 million.
Speaking after receiving the bank draft, Edonojie expressed appreciation to the EFCC, saying he had completely lost hope of recovering his money after the suspect disappeared.
He thanked the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, the Acting Zonal Director, and officers of the Benin Directorate for their dedication to the case.
According to him, the financial loss had left him devastated because he borrowed the money used for the business transaction. He described the Commission's intervention as a lifeline, adding that it had restored his hope and relieved him of years of emotional and financial hardship.
While presenting the recovered funds, Sa’ad assured Nigerians that the EFCC would continue to carry out its mandate with professionalism and fairness. He stressed that the Commission remains committed to ensuring fraudsters are brought to justice while innocent victims receive the support and restitution they deserve.
The recovery marks another success in the EFCC's ongoing efforts to trace, recover, and return proceeds of financial crimes to their rightful owners.