- Repatriates over 53 vehicles to Canada
Over N400 billion in various currencies have been recovered from looters, fraudsters and economic saboteurs in the last one year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said.
Revealing this on Tuesday, the Chairman of the agency, Ola Olukoyede, described the feat as the largest recoveries by the agency in one year, since the creation of the organisation 21 years ago.
The feat was achieved through thorough investigations carried out by the agency’s headquarters and its 14 zonal offices across the country.
Also retrieved by the agency alongside the monies are; 53 vehicles which have been handed over to the Canadian Royal Mounted Police for repatriation.
These vehicles according to him, had been stolen in Canada over time, shipped to Nigeria, and distributed to various locations by the criminals gangs whose activities were busted by the gang.
EFCC’s legal team also during the period, secured 3,455 convictions, ensuring the agency’s efforts in prosecuting cases yielded tangible results.
These figures were revealed in a document obtained by our correspondent, outlining the agency’s achievements between October 2023 and 30 September 2024.
The document also summarized the cases investigated and the recoveries made within one year, all part of the anti-corruption strategy implemented under Olukoyede’s leadership.
Of the total recovered funds, more than N248 billion was in local currency, while approximately N200 billion was in foreign currencies, including US dollars, euros, pounds, and others.
The monetary recoveries over the period include:
* $105,423,190.39
* £53,133.64
* €172,547.10
* ₹1,300.00 (One Thousand, Three Hundred Indian Rupees)
* CAD $3,400.00 (Three Thousand, Four Hundred Canadian Dollars)
* ¥74,859.00 (Seventy-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Nine Chinese Yuan)
* AUS $740.00 (Seven Hundred and Forty Australian Dollars)
* 170 UAE Dirhams (One Hundred and Seventy Dirhams)
* 73,000 Korean Won (Seventy-Three Thousand Korean Won)
* CFA 7,821,375.00 (Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy-Five West African CFA)
* R50.00 (Fifty South African Rand).
EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said the commission had achieved significant success in its fight against corruption.
“In terms of naira recoveries, we have recovered over N200 billion in one year under Ola Olukoyede’s leadership. That’s not to mention the dollar and euro components of the recoveries. The amounts are indeed substantial. Regarding convictions, we have secured over 3,000 within the same period, which we find quite impressive,” he said.
Despite these accomplishments, Uwujaren stated that the commission’s main focus remains crime prevention rather than convictions.
“The priority of the current EFCC leadership is centred around preventing corruption,” he said.
To this end, the commission has introduced initiatives aimed at educating young people across the country on the dangers of fraud, particularly cybercrime.
Besides cybercrime, Uwujaren pointed out that corruption in the public sector, particularly in relation to contracts and procurement processes, remains a significant issue.
“As you would agree, corruption in the public sector is largely linked to contract and procurement processes, and the commission is committed to addressing these issues before they occur,” the public affairs director explained.
“The saying goes that prevention is better than cure, and by preventing procurement fraud before it happens, we can save considerable resources for the country,” he added.
