A public servant surrendered N1.25bn loot – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered N1.25 billion from a public servant, it was learnt yesterday.

Although it did not give further details on the recovery, the EFCC gave a breakdown of other recoveries it made last year in a document submitted to the National Assembly.

Acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu yesterday appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes for the 2016 budget’s appraisal and the 2017 budget defence.

He said the anti-graft agency recovered N102,913,791,217.54;  $8,296,313.99;  GBP 29,155;  £12,475; 117,004 Canadian Dollar; 806.50 DIRHAM; 5,000 FRANCS and 2,000 RUPEE as proceeds of crime between January and December 2016.

He also confirmed the recovery of $9.750 million and £750,000 from a residence in Kaduna recently, adding that N1.25 billion was recovered from a public servant, a fortnight ago.

According to a document submitted by the Commission to the committee, out of the 37 accounts frozen/forfeited, six banks are yet to provide relevant information on the amount accrued into the suspected accounts within the period under review.

The commission secured 135 convictions last year, according to the records, out of which 46 were from Lagos zone, 30 from Abuja zone, 22 from Port Harcourt zone, 19 from Kano zone, 15 from Enugu zone and three from Gombe zone.

The anti- graft agency boss asked for the committee’s support saying “corruption is fighting back.”  He said in a bid to enhance the efficiency of the agency, offices in Kaduna, Ibadan, Edo and Maiduguri were resuscitated.

He said the payment of N1.8 billion out of N2.9 billion for completion of the commission’s headquarters office in Abuja had been scheduled by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

The Commission’s recruitment, he said, resulted in the recruitment of 199 Detective Inspectors and 331 Detective Assistants in an equal number across the country except Lagos, Ekiti, Bayelsa and Rivers with lower number.

The Commission prayed the House for an increase in Personnel Cost from N7. 127 billion to N9.692 billion to accommodate the 1 ,500 new recruits whose estimated emoluments is N2.565 billion.

He also asked for an increase in capital allocation by N1.790 billion to accommodate additional cost of work on the New Head Office of the Commission among other requests.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Kayode Oladele, lauded the achievements of the anti-graft agency in its fight against corruption.

He said: “For the first time in Nigeria’s history, anti- corruption searchlights have been beamed on the judiciary and the revelations have been mind- boggling. In addition, similar exercises in the arms procurement process by the Nigeria military have also led to several arrests.

“Overall, the EFCC has made the highest numbers of recoveries of stolen resources ( running into billions of Naira) in a single year in the annals of Nigeria’s anti- corruption  efforts.”

He said Nigeria had applied to join the league of members of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international anti-corruption agency, in a bid to strengthen ongoing anti-corruption crusade in the country.

“Our collective efforts to unleash sustainable development in Nigeria through the rooting out of corruption will not produce the desired result if Nigeria is unable to transact in the international market place without let or hindrance.

“In this regard, Nigeria has applied to join the FATF and based on the level of our commitment, a high-level delegation from the FATF is due to visit Nigeria in March 2017 to meet with various stakeholders and report back to its plenary in June this year. I have no doubt in my mind that we will be successfully accredited and admitted at the end of the exercise,” the committee chair said.

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