A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of N17.1 million linked to an alleged romance fraud scheme connected to the suicide of a US citizen, following an EFCC investigation
Court Orders Final Forfeiture of N17.1m Linked to Romance Scam Probe Over US Woman’s Suicide
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of N17,100,595.40 to the Federal Government after investigators linked the funds to an alleged romance fraud scheme connected to the tragic suicide of a United States citizen.
The order was granted by Justice A.O. Owoeye on June 1, 2026, following an application filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has been investigating one Ifeanyi Alele David over allegations of romance fraud and related criminal activities.
The money, domiciled in an Access Bank account allegedly linked to David, became the subject of forfeiture proceedings after the anti-graft agency traced it to what it described as proceeds of unlawful activities.
At the hearing, EFCC counsel C.C. Okezie informed the court that an interim forfeiture order had earlier been secured on February 26, 2026. In line with the court’s directive, the Commission subsequently published the order in a national newspaper to enable any interested person or organisation challenge the application.
According to Okezie, the notice was published in The Punch newspaper on April 10, 2026, but no objection or counterclaim was filed within the stipulated period, paving the way for the Commission’s application for final forfeiture.
The motion was backed by an affidavit sworn to by EFCC operative Samson Aguma, who detailed the findings of an extensive investigation involving both Nigerian authorities and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the affidavit, the EFCC received intelligence from the FBI alleging that David was connected to a romance scam network linked to the death of an American woman. Investigators disclosed that the victim died by suicide on September 15, 2021, in a hotel room in Denver, Colorado.
Following the discovery of her body, law enforcement officers reportedly recovered her mobile phone and uncovered multiple conversations on the Google Hangouts platform between the deceased and an individual identified as “Garry Micheal.”
Investigators alleged that the suspect repeatedly induced the victim to part with large sums of money under false pretences, including claims that funds were needed to secure his release from prison and facilitate his return to the United States.
The affidavit further stated that on the day of her death, the suspect allegedly demanded an additional $60,000 despite the victim’s repeated complaints of severe financial hardship and assertions that she had exhausted her resources.
According to the findings presented before the court, the victim transferred approximately $154,500 between August 30 and September 13, 2021, through multiple channels linked to the alleged fraudulent operation.
The investigation also reportedly traced email accounts, internet protocol (IP) addresses, telephone records and an Apple iCloud account associated with the scheme to David in Nigeria.
Based on the evidence gathered, the EFCC argued that the N17.1 million found in the suspect’s Access Bank account constituted proceeds of unlawful activities and was directly linked to the alleged romance fraud operation.
After reviewing the Commission’s submissions and the evidence before it, Justice Owoeye held that the application had merit and consequently ordered the final forfeiture of the N17,100,595.40 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The ruling marks another significant development in the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and romance fraud schemes that continue to attract international law enforcement attention.
