N42.5m returned to a 70-year-old widow in Kaduna, recovered from her fraudulent investment officer

Stanley Ihedigbo

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over a bank draft of N42.5m in favour of one Mrs. Margret Taye Odofin, a 70-year-old widow and retiree, recovered from her fraudulent account and investment officer, Mrs. Kehinde Olawale Yusuf, who worked in one of the new generation banks.

According to the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Mr. Dele Oyewale, the handover, which took place on Thursday, November 2025, was done in the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Commission by its Acting director, Bawa Kaltungo, on behalf of EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

The widower, in a petition to the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC in December 2024, had alleged that Mrs. Yusuf, being her account and investment officer, had between November 2020 and December, 2020, 1lured her into investing in some ponzi businesses with a promise of a quarterly return on the investment of N1.7m, but unknown to her, the banker’s motive was solely to defraud her as she later realised that the sum of N47m had been creamed off her account and wired to various bank accounts without her permission. Mrs Yusuf cut off communications with her and fled to the United Kingdom after she made enquiries about her on the transactions.

However, her flight out of the country could not deter the EFCC from tracing and recovering the stolen monetary assets.

An overjoyed Odofin was effusive with thanks and praises for the Commission and Olukoyede for the recovery.

“I cannot believe this because when we reported this case in the United Kingdom where Mrs Kehinde Yusuf absconded, after defrauding me, they said the offence was committed in Nigeria, hence they advised that we report to it the EFCC, which we did and today I am singing to the glory of God because God has used the Commission to wipe away my tears. I have waited for years to get my hard-earned money back.

“I want to thank Mr. Ola Olukoyede for the excellent job he is doing. I will campaign for the EFCC anywhere because today they have given me every reason to believe and testify that the Commission is working sincerely. I pray for you all that you continue to succeed,” she said.

Kaltungo at the event reiterated the commitment of Olukoyede’s leadership in getting justice for victims of financial fraud. “I want to sincerely appreciate you for having trust in the Commission to help you recover your hard-earned money. We are happy that we have convinced you of our professionalism and capacity to resolve any fraudulent activity within our mandate,” he said.