Nollywood Actress Barbara Odoh Alleges EFCC Hijacked Her Digital Anti-Fraud Platform

Nigerian actress and filmmaker Barbara Odoh has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of appropriating her digital anti-fraud platform, BSafe Transact, without her consent.
In a statement on Thursday, Ms. Odoh appealed to the Presidency, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and international bodies for protection, claiming that her innovation is being promoted elsewhere under a different name.
“They have taken my idea and are promoting it elsewhere without my knowledge or consent,” she said, without providing further details of the alleged hijack.
EFCC has yet to respond to requests for comment on the allegation.
Ms. Odoh said she developed the platform over several years through academic research and personal experience, intending it as a tool to facilitate secure trade between Nigeria and the global community and restore international confidence in Nigerian businesses. She described BSafe Transact as “a humanitarian solution to rebuild trust in Nigerian commercial interactions.”
According to the actress, she formally presented BSafe Transact to the EFCC in January before a five-member panel led by the Commission’s former Head of IT, Isa Abdullahi. During the meeting, she claimed, Abdullahi assured her of the Commission’s full support.
“It is going to be a serious partnership, this thing has to be sold to the public. Definitely, definitely, you will be invited to a broader meeting; this is certain! The big boss will definitely send it to you!!” she quoted Abdullahi as saying.
Ms. Odoh alleged that after the presentation, communication from the EFCC stalled abruptly. She claimed that she later saw Martins Otse, also known as Very Dark Man, promoting what she described as a substantially identical concept in China—the same region she had proposed for the platform’s first international rollout.
She also said her BSafe Transact website and domain have been flagged as fraudulent, including labels of scam, malicious activity, and credit-card phishing, despite the site never hosting commercial transactions beyond test runs and EFCC demonstrations.
“My domain name has been frozen, and I can no longer access it. Someone is trying to frame me and discredit my work,” she said.
Ms. Odoh further raised concerns about personal safety, claiming she and her son have received repeated calls from unknown numbers, often at night, with callers hanging up silently. She also alleged that followers of Very Dark Man have sent her threats via social media.
“When did demanding justice become a crime? Our lives are no longer safe. I will not compromise my rights,” she said.
During a recent EFCC visit with her legal representative, Kingsley Arah, she said she was told, “He who asserts must prove,” a response she interpreted as dismissive.
She appealed to the President, the National Assembly Committees on ICT and Human Rights, the NHRC, international intellectual property protection bodies, and civil society organisations for protection, justice, and fairness.
“I am a Nigerian who has worked hard to build something that uplifts our country. I am simply asking for protection, justice, and fairness,” Ms. Odoh said.
EFCC has not publicly commented on the allegations.
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