The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a 41-year-old foreign national, Elie Bitar, wanted over a fraudulent scheme linked to the online trading platform, Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).
The EFCC made the announcement in a statement shared on its official X handle, signed by its Head of Media, Dele Oyewale.
According to the statement, Bitar’s last known address was in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State.
The commission urged the public to report any information about Bitar’s whereabouts to its offices nationwide or to the nearest police station.
The EFCC listed its offices in major cities including Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, and Kano as contact points.
The suspect is wanted in connection with multiple complaints involving loss of funds by users of the CBEX platform.
Videos online showed several Nigerians lamenting the loss of investments when CBEX reportedly crashed in April 2025.
The EFCC had earlier declared eight other persons wanted in connection with the same CBEX fraud scheme.
A Federal High Court in Abuja granted the EFCC permission to arrest and detain CBEX promoters for further investigation.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order after EFCC counsel Fadila Yusuf filed a motion seeking the court’s approval.
The agency argued that the promoters should be placed on the red watch list to aid their arrest and prosecution.
The EFCC also revealed that ST Technologies, a company linked to the fraud, was not licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Though registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, the firm lacked authorization to carry out investment-related activities in Nigeria.
The EFCC said its investigation established a prima facie case of investment fraud against individuals promoting CBEX.
The commission maintained that granting the arrest warrant was necessary to ensure accountability and serve justice.
It vowed to continue tracing those behind CBEX, warning the public against falling for similar unregulated investment schemes.
The EFCC urged Nigerians to verify the registration and licensing status of online trading platforms before investing their funds.
With more victims coming forward, the agency confirmed it is expanding investigations to cover cross-border operations linked to CBEX.
This is not the first time the EFCC has pursued financial crimes involving digital trading and foreign nationals.
The agency promised to work with local and international partners to apprehend Bitar and others associated with the scam.
The EFCC said its mission remains to protect the Nigerian financial space from fraud, including schemes like CBEX.
