The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for successfully recovering a vast estate in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) from a former high-ranking government official involved in corruption.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, on Monday, December 2, 2024, ruled for the final forfeiture of the estate, which spans 150,500 square meters and houses 753 duplexes and other apartments.
The estate, located on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja, was allegedly constructed with proceeds from corrupt and illicit activities by the former government official.
NANS, in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Abdul-Yekinn Odunayo, Clerk of the Senate at NANS headquarters in Abeokuta, Ogun State, hailed the recovery as the EFCC’s largest asset seizure since its establishment in 2003.
The students’ body described it as a significant victory in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Odunayo in the statement lauded the anti-graft agency for working assiduously to secure the forfeiture of the property illegally acquired through the court of law, urging it not to relent in its fight against perpetrators of economic and financial crimes irrespective of their social and political status.
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He particularly hailed the EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, for his resilience and courage to tackle corruption in both government and private establishments.
According to the statement, Nigeria will be a better place if corruption can be tackled head on. With this forfeiture order secured by the EFCC, NANS strongly believes that jitters would have been sent down the spines of other corrupt public and government officials.
Odunayo, however, urged the anti-graft to be buoyed by the latest achievement and go after more government officials who engage in unlawful practices to amass wealth and property. He further called on the EFCC to beam its searchlight on different government ministries, parastatals and agencies of the government, saying “many of such sprawling estates in different parts of Abuja are said to be owned by top government officials”.
While urging the management of the EFCC to brace up as corrupt officials who are afraid of being uncovered and suffer similar fate may want to fight back, NANS Clerk of the Senate added that the asset tracing and recovery policy must be extended to the state level.
He submitted by charging the EFCC boss to continue his internal sanitation of the anti-graft agency to weed out suspected corrupt officials and economic crime collaborators, in order for it to sustain its integrity.