Within the last six months, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, secured more than 140 convictions and recovered billions of dollars in stolen funds from unscrupulous individuals, the anti-graft body’s chairman, Ibrahim Magu, has said.
Mr. Magu spoke Thursday at a rally organised by the EFCC to sensitise Nigerian schoolchildren and teenagers on the perils of corruption to national development.
In a statement signed Thursday by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Mr. Magu said the agency also blocked several channels that people of questionable character used to launder their ill-gotten wealth.
‘‘In just six months of this year, we have secured over 140 convictions, including some elusive ‘high profile’ criminals. We have recovered billions of dollars worth of stolen funds and blocked numerous avenues of money laundering,’’ Mr. Magu said while speaking on a theme: ‘‘We Must Win The War on Corruption and Impunity.’’
Mr. Uwujaren later told newsmen that Mr. Magu meant “within the last six months”.
Mr. Magu said he is enlivened by the growing optimism of Nigerians in the fight against corruption.
‘‘Citizens are now more disposed to pre-emptively act against corruption; and where the act has been committed, they are willing to work with EFCC to fish out the criminals,” Mr. Magu said.
‘‘However, in order to ensure that justice is fully served to the victim, the perpetrator and the society, it is important for us all to continue to hold everyone in the justice delivery chain accountable.”
Mr. Magu urged the citizens to increase their scrutiny of the nation’s judiciary.
“Nigerians must also take more seriously their watchdog role over the judiciary to meet the yearnings of Nigerians for justice,’’ Mr. Magu said.
A former minister, Oby Ezekwesili, decried the miserable turn of events for Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a country that the whole world agreed had incredible potentials to be one of the leading countries of the world. As a matter of fact, at the time of Nigeria’s Independence, many around the world took a bet that Nigeria was the black nation that would likely put in hot pursuit all other nations of the world in terms of greatness that it had.
‘‘Sadly, 56 years after Independence, when some of those nations that took a bet on Nigeria look at what has become of the country, they ponder what has gone wrong. But what has gone wrong is what the EFCC has been established to tackle,’’ Mrs. Ezekwesili said.
Apart from youngsters in primary and secondary schools, Clean Hands Campaign drew a mammoth crowd of civil society actors in the fight against corruption, including Citizens for Anti-corruption Corps, Rivers State and the Patriotic Forum. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Where are they Magu?
ReplyDelete..and what has the momey been used for? To travel all over the world? To buy cars for legislators? Or to be kept in private pockets like Amaechi? Useless conglomerate of dummies and wicked souls.
ReplyDelete#GodWillFight4Us#
... is your predecessor's own among the recovered loot? Who knows, yours may soon be added to the recovered loot.Cameron knew what he was saying when he stated that Nigeria is fantastically corrupt. So, relax time will tell.
ReplyDeleteEFCC recovery is yet to be felt by Nigerians and the only working arm of this Administration. Let electricity, Ministry of Labour, Health and others replicate the same.
ReplyDeleteBillions of dollars? That is budget-level money. How come the VP and Presido recently claimed we're broke?
ReplyDelete140 convictions? And in six months? When, who? Stories. Maybe he doesn't know the meaning of the word conviction.
He seems to be using his words loosely or there's been secret trials and convictions and the money housed outside Nigeria
DeleteYet Nigeria is broke.We have missed it all with Buhari and the Apc.
ReplyDeleteHOW MUCH E.G 20 NAIRA ,30 NAIRA , FROM WHO? STOP TALKING AS IF YOU ARE HOLDING A DICUSSION WITH YOUR wife and your community> which court sentenced who, for what and for how long. that is how information is put out in any domain in 21st century that I am, except you are in another.
ReplyDeletebring the chines in and start our rail-line from Lagos to Calabar fast rail transportation would ease our transport burden, with rail transport sell your fuel 300 who cares!
ReplyDeleteWhat does several mean? Does that means the recovered funds are not countable or we cannot have the figures?
ReplyDeletePls give us the figures.
APC is still campaigning. They forgot that they have won the election.That is why they have not done anything tangible.
ReplyDelete