EFCC secures conviction of 111 fraudsters in Southeast in 11 months
by Lawal Sherifat
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has obtained the conviction of 111 fraudsters in the South East between January and November 2019.
The commission also said that it had secured the final forfeiture of N1.5billion state-of-the-art 200 bedded hospital linked to an aide to the former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.
The southeast Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mr Usman Imam said this on Monday in Enugu during the 2019 International Anti-corruption Day.
Imam said that the commission had also secured the forfeiture of over N213 million and 10,609 US Dollars within the time under review and had over 230 pending cases in various courts across the zone.
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“We are not resting on our oars as the EFCC is not just about prosecution and conviction. We have been quite robust in our sensitisation and enlightenment mandates,” he said.
The zonal head said that the Federal Government’s whistleblower’s policy must be embraced in the zone.
“This will not just help in the recovery of public funds but also a means of earning a legitimate income,” he said.
He said that the zone had been rubbished by high-level cybercrime perpetrated by young vibrant Nigerians.
Imam said that corruption had dealt the country a big blow such that a recent report on Nigeria by the World Bank in October 2019, painted a gloomy picture of the situation.
“The depth and gravity of corruption in our country can be seen in the fact that between January and November 2019, the EFCC has secured over 1, 000 convictions across the country.
“The commission has recovered hundreds of billions of naira in various categories of assets,” he said.
He said that the international anti-corruption day had its history in 2013 when the United Nations signed a treaty known as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNAC).
Imam said that the treaty was ratified by 140 countries including Nigeria.
“The treaty is in recognition of the far-reaching impact of corruption and economic crime that undermines the value of democracy, sustainable development, and rule of law.
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“The culture of impunity and the seeming powerlessness of everyone over the years is the reason why people are being emboldened to continue in their corrupt ways,” he said.
Imam said that the EFCC was determined to fight corruption to a standstill in the country.
In a goodwill message, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the progress being made in the anti-corruption crusade.
Ugwuanyi also commended the zonal office of the EFCC for the excellent work it was doing.