What happened
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said on 13 November 2026 that its Enugu Zonal Directorate arraigned Chidiebere Christian Okeke, a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, and his two companies, Paderlambs Investment Limited and Ishiugbo Nigeria Limited, before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, on a three-count charge of forgery and obtaining by false pretence involving N446,579,629. The charge alleges that between October and November 2023 in Onitsha, Okeke obtained the money from a business, which was paid through another BDC operator and moved into the two companies' accounts, by falsely claiming he had remitted the Chinese renminbi equivalent to the business's partner in China. A further count alleges he made forged telex documents purporting to come from an Australian trading company. According to the EFCC, Okeke later admitted receiving the money but issued a dud cheque instead of refunding it. He pleaded not guilty; he was remanded and the case was adjourned to 19 November 2026 for hearing of a bail application.
How the scam works
Unlicensed investment and 'AI trading' sites usually start with a polished sign-up form, a promised high or guaranteed return, and pressure to deposit quickly, often after a call or a message on Telegram. Early small withdrawals may be paid so that you send more. Clone firms copy the name, and sometimes the address or phone number, of a real authorised business. Check the firm on your national regulator's register, and type the official website yourself rather than following a link. A regulator warning or a block order is not a finding that a particular customer lost money; it is a notice that the site is not authorised to offer those services.
Source
Source: https://x.com/officialEFCC/status/2121289820156956697 (@officialEFCC, Nov 13, 2026, 12:11 PM ET); https://x.com/officialEFCC/status/2121289820156956697 (EFCC official statement on X, 13 Nov 2026)
