EFCC to probe 13 security officials for stealing 216 assets, funds

“The EFCC Chairman said the EFCC would go after those involved in illicit financial flow in line with his commitment to fighting corruption.”

ELFREDAH KEVIN-ALERECHI • April 1, 2021

EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it will go after corrupt Nigerian security officials involved in the stealing of funds and assets worth over $400 million.

The anti-corruption agency stated this while receiving the HEDA Resource Agenda’s reports detailing the stolen funds and assets on Wednesday that the Nigeria stolen funds and assets are kept in the United Arab Emirates by corrupt Nigerians.

“The EFCC Chairman said the EFCC would go after those involved in illicit financial flow in line with his commitment to fighting corruption. He said it is part of the EFCC mandate to retrieve the proceeds of crime cross-national jurisdiction,” said a statement by HEDA on Thursday.

Peoples Gazette had earlier reported HEDA claimed that Nigerian officials stole 800 assets and funds worth over $400 million and kept them in the United Arab Emirates.

HEDA had accused some yet-to-be-identified public officeholders of owning more than half of the $400 million (584 stolen assets and funds) and 13 law enforcement officials (responsible for stolen 216 stolen assets and funds).

The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the EFCC, however, stated, “We have a lot of bilateral and international relations and agreements that bring us together with our partner law enforcement agencies in countries under consideration. It is one of our duties to ensure the prevention of the property taken at all and to ensure they are not taken out of the country,” explained Mr Bawa.

He acknowledged that corrupt Nigerians could not take the country’s funds out of the country without collaborators, urging public institutions to ensure an honest and transparent procurement procedure.

“The fight against corruption is not an easy task. It is not what EFCC can fight alone. We need to do a lot to make it not attractive for people to steal. If we want to stop illicit funds, we need to stop the inflow,” the anti-corruption group quoted Mr Bawa to have said.

The United Kingdom and the UAE were also accused by HEDA boss Olanrewaju Suraju as aiding the illicit financial flow.

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