The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today disclosed that it secured a total of 3,455 convictions under the leadership of Mr Ola Olukoyede between October 18, 2023, and October 18, this year, while the sum of N248,750,049,365.52, among others, was recovered within the period.
This was made known to journalists at a briefing at the commission’s corporate headquarters at Jabi, Abuja, by the chairman while unveiling the “Key Achievements of the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in One Year.”.
Represented by the Director, Public Affairs, EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the chairman noted the anti-graft agency in the past year “under Olukoyede’s watch secured 3,455 convictions across all categories of financial crimes and corruption.”.
In terms of monetary asset recovery, he revealed that a total sum of N248,750,049,365.52 was recovered.
“In the one year of Olukoyede’s leadership, the EFCC recovered $105,423,190.39; £ 53,133.64; €172,547.10; T1,300.00; CAD $ 3,400.00; ¥74,859:00; AUS $ 740:00; 170:00 UAE Dirham 73,000:00 Korean Won; CFA 7,821,375:00 to R 50:00 (Fifty South Africa Rand),” he said.
He further informed that in terms of arrest and prosecution of politically exposed persons, EFCC had charged four former governors in different courts with various offences bordering on misappropriation of public funds.
He listed the former governors as Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); Willie Obiano (Anambra); and Darius Ishaku (Taraba), adding that the former helmsmen’s trials are ongoing.
Apart from the four former governors, the chairman informed that three former ministers were currently being prosecuted for corruption and other related offences.
“Two former Ministers of Power have been arrested and facing prosecution by the Commission. They are Saleh Mamman and Olu Agunloye. A third is former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika,” he said.
Responding to a question as to the number of former governors under investigation and why some former governors accused of corruption and bribery were yet to be prosecuted, Uwujaren said it would be improper to mention names when the Commission had yet to complete its investigations.
“Our understanding of operating procedures makes it inconvenient for me at this forum to share this information because there are matters still under investigation, and I am not obliged to disclose that until they are comfortable making that information public,” he said.
The chairman informed that the anti-graft agency established a Special Task Force against Naira Abuse and Dollarisation of the Economy, which was operating from all its 14 zonal directorates and the headquarters for the enforcement of laws against currency mutilation and dollarization of the economy.
“The task force has succeeded in changing the behavioural approach of Nigerians in handling the naira. Today, Naira abuse in social events has almost become a thing of the past. More than 35 convictions have been secured in this regard.
“The convicts cut across different classes of society, with Idris Okuneye (a.k.a. Bobrisky) and Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, a Nollywood actress who bagged six months imprisonment, topping the chart of high-profile convicts in this regard.
“Another offender, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu (a.k.a. Cubana Chief Priest), had his charges compounded and was fined,” he informed
According to him, apart from the protection of the national currency from abuse, the Special Task Force also saw to the protection of the economy from leakages, foreign exchange distortions and exposure to instability and disruptions, adding that this had further put paid to business entities, schools and individuals in the country demanding payments in dollars.
Another area EFCC under Olukoyede is prioritising, according to the chairman, is fraud prevention through engagement with religious and traditional leaders as well as the youth.
This, he said, led to the reintroduction of the Inter-faith Manual for Christian and Islamic faiths, which provided an anti-corruption, economic, and financial crimes doctrinal guide for the clergy in both faiths for inculcation into their faithful.
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