EFCC gives first account of anti-corruption war in 19 years: November 2015 till date

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Commenting on the achievements on the EFCC account rendering, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN) said, “…and they claim the fight against corruption isn’t real? They said no conviction since 2015. They said it is all witch-hunting. Abeg let the witch-hunting continue. It is delivering results.”

For the first time in 19 years of its establishment, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accounted for recovered loots and successes it made since the last three years the Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration of All Progressives Congress (APC) took charge of it, our investigations have revealed.

The DEFENDER reports this is happening under Mallam Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, a Commissioner of Police (CP), whose confirmation as substantive chairman of the anti-corruption agency has continued to be kept at bay by Senate President Bukola Saraki for yet to be properly explained reasons.

Our checks however revealed that Magu’s plight in the hands of the Saraki’s Senate is borne out of his insistence on no-sacred cow style in the anti-graft crusade under him.

It was also gathered that insistence of the Police CP to stick to the independent mindedness in the anti-looting fight, as allowed him by President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed him, had led to series of fictitious allegations ranging from selective prosecutions and witch-hunting against levelled against him and, by extension largely, against the Presidency.

It will be recalled that, despite repeated turn-down by the Senate of letters from the President Buhari requesting the Senate to confirm Magu as chairman of EFCC, the now African Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Leader insisted on him with the him refusing to drop him as demanded by the red chamber’s lawmakers.

It will also be recalled, without consideration of concocted “DSS” letter stopping the Senate from confirming Ibrahim Magu, that His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Acting President once insisted that it was either Magu or nobody else, even as a voice from the Presidency credited, wrongly or rightly to President Buhari, fumed that the EFCC boss could remain acting position for as long as the Buhari Administration lasts.

The allegations then moved from that of the Senate-led frustration, we gathered, to “anti-corruption with no single conviction”, considered to be a mischievous criticism despite the fact that Buhari government’s policy ensures the rule of law and separation of powers among executive, legislature and judiciary have their way in his Regime of Change as enshrined in the national Constitution.

In the course of investigations focused on the usually asked question: “The Nigerian anti-corruption war; how far so far?” embarked by The DEFENDER, we stumbled on details of what we have, for this report, treated as “EFCC’s account from November 2015 till date” and we take responsibility for any error therefrom as we will be ready to correct.

So far, information available to us revealed – whereas the EFCC between 2011 through 2015 had always recorded complaints about lack of funding which hampered its ability to fight corruption and during which corruption ate in the fabrics of the nation state to the extent of funds appropriated for Nigerian military to fight Boko Haram insurgents killing innocent Nigerians of the North East, Abuja, and some other parts of Northern Nigeria were being diverted into private pockets of politicians in power at the time – that the EFCC as it is currently constituted is not only heard to be saying it has performed but, more convincingly, this online newspaper gathered, it is seen to be doing the anti-corruption fight to satisfaction of the Nigerians the government that appointed its new board wanted to help against looters of their resources.

Loots recovery

In terms of loots recovery, the EFCC under Ibrahim Magu without interference from President Buhari has recovered so far: N794 billion, $261 million and £1.1 million recovered.

Convictions

In terms of achievements in the area of financial criminals prosecuted and convicted recorded 103 convictions in 2015, 194 in 2016, 189 in 2017 and for the year 2018 yet to end, the anti-corruption organisation secured so far 217 convictions, despite the generally acknowledged sabotage by some allegedly corrupt judges and lawyer particularly the senior lawyers.

Properties forfeited

Between 2015 when the EFCC, established by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, got into the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Administration of Muhammadu Buhari, the anti-corruption agency has secured, unequivocally, forfeiture of properties acquired from proceeds of loots in the follow order:

• 407 mansions seized
  ¬126 Permanently forfeited
  ¬281 interim forfeiture
• Nine (9) filling stations seized
• 98 Plots of land seized
  ¬56 are under interim forfeiture,
  ¬42 forfeited finally to the FG
• 259 automobiles seized
  ¬35 under interim forfeiture
  ¬ 224 finally forfeited.

Festus Keyamo speaks:

Commenting on the achievements on the EFCC account rendering, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN) said, “…and they claim the fight against corruption isn’t real? They said no conviction since 2015. They said it is all witch-hunting. Abeg let the witch-hunting continue. It is delivering results.

“No government in the history of Nigeria has retrieved stolen wealth like the current regime,” Festus Keyamo, who is Spokesman of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, noted.