Olukoyede’s scorecard: EFCC docks 4 ex-govs, 2 ex-ministers, recovers N248bn, international property 

The Govt Chairman of the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has restated his resolve to proceed frontal conflict towards {economic} and {financial} crimes and different acts of corruption within the nation order to maintain and surpass his spectacular one 12 months scorecard because the nation’s primary graft fighter.

Olukoyede, who disclosed this,  Thursday, in Abuja, at a media convention to mark his one 12 months in workplace, by means of the Director, Public Affairs, Commander of the EFCC, CE Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed that the final one 12 months has been action-packed, record-breaking and result-loaded.

 “Combating corruption shouldn’t be a simple activity however you may agree with us that we have now accomplished properly prior to now one 12 months of Olukoyede. In his one 12 months as EFCC Chairman, starting from October 18, 2023 to October 18, 2024, the Fee has charged 4 former governors, specifically: Yahaya Adoza Bello (Kogi), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Willie Obiano (Anambra) and Darius Dickson Ishaku, (Taraba) to court docket for alleged corruption.

“Yahaya Bello is charged in two totally different courts, one on the Federal Excessive Court docket, Maitama, Abuja, earlier than Justice Emeka Nwite on 19- depend fees bordering on cash laundering to the tune of N80,246,470, 089.88.

“A distinct cost of Yahaya Bello alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu can also be earlier than Justice Maryanne Anenih on 16-count fees bordering on felony breach of belief to the tune of N110.4billion.

“Darius Ishaku, former governor of Taraba state and former everlasting secretary, Bureau for Native Authorities and Chieftaincy Affairs within the state, Bello Yero, are dealing with prosecution earlier than Justice S. C Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory Excessive Court docket, Maitama, Abuja on a 15-count cost, bordering on felony breach of belief, conspiracy and conversion of public funds within the state to the tune of N27 billion.

“Abdulfatah Ahmed, the previous governor of Kwara state alongside Ademola Banu, former Commissioner of Finance within the state are dealing with prosecution on a 12-count cost, bordering on cash laundering and mismanagement of public funds to the tune of N10 billion.

“On Wednesday, January 24, 2024 the EFCC arraigned Willie Obiano, a former Anambra State governor earlier than Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal Excessive Court docket sitting in Abuja. He was arraigned on 9 counts bordering on cash laundering, diversion of funds, stealing and corruption to the tune of N4 billion.”

He additional acknowledged that, “Amongst former ministers investigated and dragged to court docket are two former ministers of energy: Saleh Mamman and Olu Agunloye.

The third is former minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika. Mamman, Minister of Energy between 2019 to 2021 is being prosecuted earlier than Justice James Omotosho of the Federal Excessive Court docket, Maitama, Abuja on 12-count fees bordering on conspiracy to commit cash laundering  to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73. 

“They allegedly diverted funds being a mortgage granted to Nigeria by China’s Exim {bank} meant for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Energy Undertaking. Agunloye,  Minister of Energy throughout President Obasanjo’s  authorities is being prosecuted on seven-count fees,  bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of Mambilla Energy Undertaking contract to the tune of $6 billion to Dawn Energy and Transmission Ltd, whereas Sirika, a former Minister of Aviation is standing trial earlier than two totally different judges – Justice S.B. Belgore of the FCT Excessive Court docket, Garki, and Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT Excessive Court docket, Maitama.

“Earlier than Justice Belgore, Sirika is being prosecuted alongside his brother, Ahmad Sirika and two corporations, Enginos Nigeria Restricted and Samahah Built-in Funding Restricted on 10-counts bordering on an alleged N5.8 billion fraud. Earlier than Justice Oriji, he’s dealing with six counts alongside Fatima Sirika, Jalal Hamma and Al Buraq International Funding Restricted for an alleged N2.8 billion fraud.”

Equally, “Within the space of convictions, the EFCC in Olukoyede’s one 12 months secured 3455 convictions throughout all classes {of financial} crimes and corruption. In financial property, recoveries in Naira hit N 248,750,049,365.52.

“In foreign exchange recoveries of the Fee within the one 12 months of Olukoyede’s management are: $105,423,190.39; £ 53,133.64; T1,300.00;  ¥74,859:00;  AUS $ 740:00; 170:00 UAE Dirham; 73,000:00 Korean Gained; CFA7,821,375:00 West African CFA, and R50:00 South Africa Rands.”

Uwujaren additional acknowledged that the EFCC boss additionally constituted a particular activity drive towards Naira abuse and dollarisation of the economic system, noting that the duty drive operates in all of the fee’s 14 Zonal directorates and the headquarters for the enforcement of legal guidelines towards forex mutilation and dollarization of the economic system.

“The duty drive has succeeded in altering the behavioural strategy of Nigerians in dealing with the Naira. At present, Naira abuse in social occasions has virtually turn into a factor of the previous with greater than 35 convictions secured on this regard. 

“The convicts lower throughout totally different courses of the society, with Idris Okuneye a.okay.a Bobrisky and Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, a Nollywood actress who bagged six months imprisonment topping the chart of high- profile convicts on this regard.  One other offender, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu (a.okay.a Cubana Chief Priest) had his fees compounded and was fined.

“Aside from the safety of the nationwide forex from abuse, the Particular Process Power ensures the safety of the economic system from leakages, international trade distortions and publicity to instability and disruptions. It has additional put paid to enterprise entities, faculties and people within the nation demanding funds in {dollars}.

“The Fee additionally efficiently noticed to the return of a number of the recovered property. On September 6, 2024, the EFCC boss handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) the sum of $180,300 and 53 autos, being property recovered for Canadian victims of Nigerian fraudsters; $164,000 of the recovered money property was for a sufferer, recognized as Elena Bogomas, whereas $16,300 belonged to a sufferer, referred to as Sandra Butler.

“The recovered 53 autos have been stolen over a time frame in Canada, freighted to Nigeria and distributed to a number of areas in Nigeria by felony parts. Representing the Canadian authorities and the RCMP within the handover ceremony have been Robert Aboumitri, First Secretary, Deputy Excessive Fee of Canada and Nasser Salihou, Liaison Officer and Programme Supervisor, RCMP.”

Equally, “On September 20, 2024, Olukoyede handed over €5,100 proceeds of crime to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Juan Ignacio Promote, being the sum recovered from a Nigerian romance fraudster for Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, a Spanish sufferer by the EFCC in collaboration with the Spanish Police.

“On Wednesday, April 24, 2024 the EFCC performed host to a particular delegation from the Enugu State authorities, led by the governor, Dr. Peter Mbah. The occasion, a memorable one in lots of respects, was the handing over of 14 properties recovered by the EFCC to the Enugu State authorities by Olukoyede.

“The properties which have been initially forfeited to the federal authorities are actually within the custody of presidency and folks of Enugu state.”

He stated the fee has additionally upped the ante in native and worldwide collaborations prior to now one 12 months, noting that whereas the fee has cast collaborations with all related authorities companies and native civil society organisations, on the regional stage, Olukoyede is the serving President of the Community of Anti- Corruption Establishments in West Africa, NACIWA, which locations him within the management of ECOWAS area’s anti-corruption companies’ battle towards cash laundering and different {financial} crimes.

“…On the world stage, the EFCC has charted new frontiers in worldwide collaborations and synergy. A feat in worldwide collaborations was the document setting July 14, 2024 official go to of the FBI Director, Christopher Wray to the Fee.

“The primary of such an occasion in historical past, the FBI Director flew into the nation to personally dealer a brand new strategic alliance between the Bureau and EFCC in the direction of tackling the waves of rising and previous crimes which are of mutual curiosity to Nigeria and the USA.”

In response to Uwujaren, “Olukoyede proper from the beginning, set his eyes on prioritisation of fraud prevention. This noticed the fee reintroduce the Inter-faith Guide for Christian and Islamic faiths, which was launched in a nationwide occasion on the Yar Ádua Centre, Abuja on January 31, 2023, themed: “Youth, Faith and the Combat towards Corruption.” The guide offers anti-corruption, {economic} and {financial} crimes doctrinal information for clergies in each faiths for inculcation into the trustworthy. One other facet of fraud prevention mechanism which the Fee has introduced into the combo inside the one 12 months interval is the Fraud Danger Evaluation Prevention for Ministries, Departments, and Businesses (MDAs), which was conceived to stop incidence of fraud in MDAs.

“The Fraud Danger Evaluation Prevention is a template on corruption and fraud prevention in MDAs which have been rendered vastly susceptible to useful resource haemorrhage and infinite conduits for public funds theft with attendant adverse impacts on the nation’s improvement.

“A brand new division of Fraud Danger Evaluation and Management (FRAC) was established. The division is saddled with the duty of analyzing the systemic challenges that enable corruption to fester within the nation and implements the Fee’s Corruption Prevention Technique. 

“Only in the near past, the fee established Cybercrime Centre and Fast Response Centre. The Centre is for accelerated info transmission on internet-enabled {financial} crimes from the general public and motion from the Fee. It is supplied with each native and worldwide phone numbers with which the Fee could be reached on a 24-hours foundation on issues referring to cybercrime in Nigeria and from throughout the globe.

“The fee below Olukoyede consummated a partnership Treaty with Nigeria’s foremost Fintech group, Flutterwave to determine a Cybercrime Analysis Centre on the new EFCC Academy in Abuja. The Centre will provide tech savvy youths the chance to positively deploy their skills in assistance from the battle towards corruption and uplift of the Nigerian economic system by means of analysis, innovation and different undertakings.

“The initiative takes sturdy roots in Olukoyede’s need to entrench {financial} integrity in Nigeria’s our on-line world as a lot as a resolve to redirect the youth onto the trail of moral values.”

Additional within the line of prevention, the EFCC Radio was commissioned in Might 2024. With it, the fee below Olukoyede turned the primary to personal and function a radio station, devoted to selling the battle towards corruption.

“Within the route of institutional reforms, in addition to the Fraud Danger Evaluation and Management (FRAC), Olukoyede prior to now one 12 months established a brand new Division of Safety whereas the previous Division of Inside Affairs, (DIA) was renamed Division of Ethics and Integrity to mirror the brand new give attention to zero-tolerance of corruption amongst personnel of the Fee.

“Additionally all of the Zonal Command have been upgraded to Directorates and Administrators appointed to go them. Among the many Administrators are officers with backgrounds in regulation and different fields, a transparent departure from the previous during which such positions have been reserved solely for officers within the investigation division. For the time being, three new directorates are set to emerge in Ekiti, Katsina and Anambra, bringing the Fee’s zonal directorates to a complete of 17.

“In step with its enforcement and prevention mandate, the Fee below Olukoyede prior to now one 12 months has arrange a Visa and Immigration Fraud Unit in all its zonal instructions and the headquarters to sort out visa and immigration fraud within the nation. Establishing the unit turned compelling because of the stream of fraud happening on immigration issues within the nation and the necessity to shield Nigerians from the antics of immigration fraudsters. And as a part of efforts to bridge the hole between the Fee and members of the general public with grievances, a brand new Public Complaints Desk was established in all Zonal Directorates and the Headquarters to obtain complaints from the general public and processes for instant motion by the Fee. The Desks are manned by specifically skilled officers and have hotlines by means of which they are often reached.

“In a bid to spice up the mental energy of its workforce and promote distance studying, the EFCC has launched an digital studying administration studio on the EFCC Academy in Karu, Abuja,” he additional acknowledged.