The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has removed a foreign national, Ellie Bitar from the wanted list for Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) fraud.
EFCC had declared Bitar wanted on April 30 for alleged fraud on the CBEX trading platform by which his name was posted in a wanted notice across various social media platforms.
In a now-deleted post on its X handle, signed by its Head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, the agency stated that Bitar’s last known address was in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State.
However, on Wednesday, EFCC issued a statement announcing that Bitar’s name had been removed from the wanted list due to the availability of new information.
“Ellie Bitar of CBEX Solutions Ltd., who was earlier declared wanted, has since been removed from the list owing to new information that does not support his inclusion in the wanted person’s list.
“The Commission is making significant progress in its investigations, with law enforcement agencies worldwide working together to track and apprehend all the wanted individuals.
“The EFCC will continue its efforts to bring all those involved in the fraudulent activities to justice,” the statement read in part.
According to Oyewale, the anti-graft agency is “making substantial progress” in its search for the eight individuals declared wanted in connection with the CBEX fraud.
Several online videos had shown Nigerians expressing concerns over the loss of their funds in the CBEX scheme, which reportedly collapsed in April.
As part of its investigation, the EFCC declared eight people wanted for their alleged role in the fraudulent scheme linked to the online trading platform.
Additionally, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the agency’s request to arrest and detain individuals promoting the CBEX scheme.
