The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a 41-year-old man wanted in connection with the alleged fraud perpetrated on an online trading platform, Crypto Bridge Exchange.

The agency, in a post on its X handle signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Wednesday, said Bitar’s last known address was in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State.

The statement read, “The public is hereby notified that ELIE BITAR, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).

“Bitar is 41 years old and his last known address is at Eng. George Enemoh Crescent, Lekki Phase 1, Lekki, Lagos State.”

The EFCC urged anyone with useful information about the suspect’s whereabouts to contact any of its offices in Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin City, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, or Abuja.

It said it could also be reached via the phone number 08093322644, by email at [email protected], or the nearest police station and other security agencies.

Several videos online had shown some Nigerians raising the alarm over the loss of their funds to the scheme when it reportedly crashed in April.

As part of its investigations into the matter, the EFCC had declared eight persons wanted over their alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme linked to the online trading platform.

The Federal High Court in Abuja also granted the agency’s request to arrest and detain persons found promoting the CBEX scheme.

Justice Emeka Nwite, issued the order following submissions by the counsel for the EFCC, Fadila Yusuf, seeking the court’s approval to detain the promoters pending the conclusion of investigations into the alleged offences and their possible prosecution.

The EFCC stated that during the investigation, it found that ST Technologies, while registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, was not authorised by the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct investment activities.

The anti-graft agency had argued that a warrant of arrest was necessary to place the defendants on a red watch list to facilitate their capture and ensure they face charges.

The commission said its investigation had also established a prima facie case of an investment scam and that granting the application was in the interest of justice.