the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said to have recovered 3.6 million Naira stolen from a bank account and returned the money to the victim in Yola, Adamawa State.

The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the victim is Muhammed Mubi, 86, who is a retired permanent secretary in the Adamawa State Ministry of Education.

He said Mr Mubi on Wednesday received the check for the recovered 3.6 million naira at his residence in Yola, Adamawa State, from the Chief of Foreign Exchange Fraud Section (FEMS), Abdullahi Suraiju.

Mr. Suraiju allegedly handed over the money to the victim on behalf of the commander of the Gombe zone command, Babashani Umar Sanda.

“I present to you this check as funds recovered for you by the Commission during an investigation into your petition,” Mr Suraiju said.

The recovery of the money totaling N3,639,500 is said to have followed a petition from the victim in November 2021.

The plaintiff had alleged in his petition an unauthorized withdrawal from his Unity Bank account, where he receives his pension.

The victim reported that he decided to report the issue to the EFCC after he went to withdraw funds, but was told he could not due to insufficient funds to his credit.

He asked for his bank statement and found that an automated teller machine (ATM) had been issued in his name to withdraw all his savings, the commission said.

The EFCC said its investigations revealed the crime was committed by a former bank employee, who, taking advantage of the victim’s vulnerability and age, had gained her trust by offering unsolicited assistance before to perpetrate the crime.

“The investigation further revealed that what was stolen from the victim’s account was more than the two million nine hundred thousand naira (N2,900,000) that the victim had reported in his petition.

“The victim, through his lawyer, thanked the commission for what he describe as a “prompt and professional response” to the matter,” the statement added.