EFCC Arraigns Sierra Leonean Over $190,324 Property Scam

​LAGOS — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a Sierra Leonean national, Favour Foday Kamara, before Justice O. A. Okunuga of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja. Kamara is facing a two-count charge bordering on theft and fraudulent conversion amounting to $190,324.

​According to the prosecution, led by Nnaemeka Omewa, the charges stem from a petition filed by Henrietta Vandi, a 70-year-old United States-based Sierra Leonean. Vandi recounted that her path crossed with the defendant between 2019 and 2020 during a visit to the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, where Kamara allegedly persuaded her to explore local investment opportunities.

​Investigators revealed that between August 2021 and February 2025, the septuagenarian remitted funds totaling $190,324 through wire services—including Ria, Western Union, and MoneyGram—as well as cash deposits into Kamara’s Access Bank account. The money was specifically meant for acquiring and renovating a residential property situated at 20/30 Gbenga Ogunleye/Atobatele Street, Cele Bus Stop, Araromi, in the Alimosho area of Lagos.

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​However, subsequent anti-graft investigations exposed a betrayal of trust: rather than securing the real estate for the elderly investor, Kamara allegedly purchased the property in his own name, moved into the premises, and converted it to personal use by continuously collecting rent from tenants.

​When the two-count charge was read in court, the defendant pleaded “not guilty.”

​Following the plea, prosecution counsel Nnaemeka Omewa requested a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in custody. Justice Okunuga granted the request, ordering that Kamara be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, and adjourned the matter until October 29, 2026, for the commencement of trial.