​Convicted Scammer’s Assets Restored to Australian Victim

​LAGOS — In a significant move to combat transnational financial crime, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, officially returned a substantial collection of assets to an Australian citizen, Karo Rita Kazzi, who was the victim of a sophisticated romance scam.

​The recovered items, which were seized from a convicted fraudster, Odey Steven Aleka, were presented to the victim through her legal counsel, Blessing Nwankwo, at the Commission’s Lagos office.

​A Pattern of Deceit

​The case, which underscores the rising danger of cross-border online romance fraud, involved a complex scheme where the convict, Aleka, exploited his marital relationship with the Australian victim to defraud her of significant assets through false pretenses.

​Upon realizing the nature of the scheme, the victim engaged the Woke Attorney Law Firm, which initiated both divorce proceedings and a formal petition to the EFCC. Following a thorough investigation, the Commission arraigned Aleka on charges related to romance fraud and obtaining money under false pretenses. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to one year in prison, with an option of a ₦1,000,000 fine.

​Recovery and Restitution

​The handover follows a final forfeiture order issued on March 12, 2024, by Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. The court mandated that all assets seized from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government as restitution for the victim.

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​The assets returned to Ms. Kazzi include:

• ​A one-storey building consisting of six room-and-parlour self-contained apartments located in the Emedu–Awoyaya area of Ajah, Lagos.
• ​A Lexus RX350 SUV.
• ​An iPhone 12 Pro Max.
• ​Personal jewelry, including a gold wedding ring and a gold chain with a cross pendant.

​Commission’s Stance on Economic Crime

​Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, emphasized that the event serves as a clear message to perpetrators of financial crimes.

​“The EFCC remains committed to ensuring that victims of economic and financial crimes obtain justice and, where possible, recover assets fraudulently obtained from them,” Kaltungo stated. He further reaffirmed the commission’s resolve to continue investigating and prosecuting those who use online platforms to target victims across international borders.

​This successful restitution highlights the EFCC’s increasing focus on asset recovery as a critical component of its anti-corruption mandate, providing a tangible pathway to justice for victims of increasingly borderless cyber-enabled crimes.