Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has recovered N871bn, 407 mansions and convicted no fewer than 703 corrupt persons and institutions in the past three years.
The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, about 90 per cent of all recoveries in Nigeria has been through the financial crime commission.
Magu who spoke to newsmen in his Abuja office said: “In the three years that I have been in charge of EFCC, we have secured 703 convictions. The breakdown is as follows: 103 convictions in 2015, 194 convictions in 2016; 189 in 2017 and 217 from January 2018 till date.
He said, “In the past three years, we have set recovery records to the envy of virtually all law enforcement agencies in Africa. “It is on record that about 90 per cent of all recoveries in Nigeria is through the EFCC. “Following court orders which granted our prayers for interim and final forfeiture of looted funds, the recoveries under my watch between November 2015 and today are as follows: “Over N794billion recovered. Over $261 million has been recovered. The Pounds Sterling recovered stands at 1, 115, 930.47 Pounds. The Euros recovered in the period is: 8,168, 871. 13 Euros. There is also the sum of 86,500 CFA
“Hundreds of properties such as filling stations, petroleum products, land, jewellery, automobiles, real estate, vessels, hospitals, company shares and heavy machinery and broadcast equipment have been seized from corrupt elements between 2015 and 2018. 126 mansions forfeited “From 2015 to 2018, 407 mansions were seized, 126 have been forfeited finally and 281 are under interim forfeiture. Nine filling stations were seized and placed under interim forfeiture.
“Plots of land seized sums up to 98 of which 56 are under interim forfeiture, while 42 have been forfeited finally to the Federal Government. “Two hundred and fifty nine automobiles have been seized, 35 are under interim forfeiture while 224 have been forfeited finally.
“A hospital, St. Solomon Health Care Centre located at No. 24, Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja, Lagos, has also been forfeited finally. In 2016, 1500 metric tonnes of AGO and 3,035 Metric tonnes of LPFO were forfeited finally.”
On the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in which EFCC is seeking to be extradited to Nigeria, Magu said this was because she is going free in the United Kingdom.
“She is not currently being tried for anything in the UK. There is no prosecution of Diezani going on in the UK. We cannot wait indefinitely for the UK. That is why we want to initiate her extradition and trial in Nigeria.”