Court orders final forfeiture of Bentley, Venza, cash recovered from internet fraud suspect

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of two luxury vehicles—a white Bentley Coupe and a blue Toyota Venza—linked to a suspected internet fraudster, German Daniel Onoriede.

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The judge, Dehinde Dipeolu, issued the order on Monday following a motion ex-parte filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa.

In addition to the final forfeiture of the vehicles, the court also granted an interim forfeiture of $20,000 CFA 110,000, and a blue Nissan Almera car, pending further investigation and legal proceedings.

An affidavit sworn to by EFCC investigator Bufa Okangbe and filed in support of the final forfeiture application said the EFCC conducted a sting operation on 14 August 2023, targeting suspected internet fraudsters in Ocean Bay Estate, Lekki, Lagos. During the operation, Mr Onoriede reportedly evaded arrest, but EFCC operatives recovered two vehicles from his apartment.

Documents obtained during the investigation revealed that the Bentley Coupe, with chassis number SCBFE63WXCC077771, was imported using proceeds from unlawful activities. According to the filing, further financial analysis showed that Mr Onoriede operated multiple bank accounts, including naira and dollar accounts, which received over N500 million between 2018 and 2023 from suspected fraudulent sources.

The judge, Mr Dipeolu, satisfied with the evidence presented, granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of the vehicles.

Interim forfeiture of assets

In a separate affidavit submitted by EFCC investigator Solomon Usman, the court was informed of a 13 July 2025 sting operation conducted by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) along the Seme Border in Badagry, Lagos. During the operation, a suspected fraudster driving a sky blue Nissan Almera with chassis number SJNFAANI6U0508962 abandoned the vehicle and fled into nearby bushes.

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“The driver, upon sighting the operatives of the NSC, alighted from the vehicle and fled into a bush along Baba Pupa close to the Seme Border area of Lagos State, thereby evading arrest.

“The suspected fraudster abandoned his car. After a physical examination of the vehicle by the officers, a total sum of $20,000 (Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) and CFA 110,000 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand CFA) were discovered in the abandoned vehicle,” a statement by EFCC’s spokesperson Dele Oyewale quoted the supporting affidavit as stating.

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EFCC’s lawyer Kofarnaisa, thereafter, told the court that the money and car were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and also prayed the court to order their forfeiture.

Consequently, the judge granted the interim forfeiture and also directed the commission to publish the interim order in any national newspaper to enable any interested person to appear before the court and show cause why the funds and property should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.