Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered, at least, N41.78 billion from three prime cases, among several others pending before the agency.
Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, yesterday, disclosed that the Acting Chairman’s priority on fund recovery successfully raked in N27.18 billion and $19.08 million (or N14.60 billion equivalent) in the last few months.
Despite recent lull in activities of the EFCC, Oyewale said the commission’s work is progressing, and in line with its mandate.
He said, for instance, investigations were ongoing in respect of monumental fraud involving some officials of the Federal Ministry of Power and Agriculture.
“They border on procurement fraud. These are funds meant for the Mambilla and Zungeru Power projects being diverted through sundry Bureau de Change operators. For now, several houses purchased with the funds are being recovered. The houses are in Abuja, Lagos and Cross River State,” Oyewale said.
He added that in the ongoing case of former Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), alleged to have stolen N109 billion, one of his allies, a senior government official, coughed out N12 billion to the EFCC.
Similarly, an undisclosed sum of money has also been recovered on behalf of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“In those three cases, the commission recovered N27,184,357,524.52 and $19,084,419.33 (N41.78 billion in total). More investigations are still ongoing. But in all these, recovery is very key,” Oyewale said.
On the former and sitting public office holders alleged to have committed fraud, he said petitions were received in respect of several public officials, “some of them, former governors, some former ministers, and some ministry officials. Investigations are ongoing on those petitions bothering on money laundering, stealing and misappropriation of funds. Details of their involvement and our investigations will soon be made public.”
It will be recalled that former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, was arrested by operatives of the EFCC over an alleged N22 billion fraud.
The arrest was said to be in connection with the commission’s ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in the execution of some power projects.
Mamman was alleged to have conspired with staff of the ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects and diverted N22 billion, which they shared among themselves.
