Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a Cameroonian businessman, Bekono Marc Eric, over his alleged involvement in a large-scale bank fraud estimated at about ₦1.5 billion.
The 47-year-old suspect was picked up on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos following intelligence reports linking him to a transnational fraud network suspected to be behind a series of credit card scams across West Africa.
According to the EFCC, preliminary findings suggest the syndicate operates by opening multiple bank accounts in Nigeria, obtaining ATM cards and their corresponding PINs, and then moving across borders to carry out unauthorized withdrawals and transactions in other countries.
Investigators believe the group specifically targets accounts with high balances, exploiting weaknesses in cross-border banking security systems.
The commission said Bekono is suspected to occupy a key role within the network, though his exact level of involvement is still being investigated.
The EFCC added that he will be charged to court once investigations are concluded, as efforts continue to dismantle what appears to be a wider organised financial crime ring operating within the region.
The arrest highlights growing concerns over increasingly sophisticated cross-border banking fraud, prompting tighter surveillance and enforcement actions by Nigerian financial crime authorities.
