The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered over N231.623billion during the first year of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Other recoveries include US$70,260,544.18; £29,264.50(GBP); Euro 208,297.10; $3,950.00 (Canadian); $740.00 (Australian); 35,000.00 (Rand); 42,390.00 (UAE Dirhams); 247.00 (Riyals); and ¥74,754.00 (Yuan).
Also, the commission investigated 15, 753 petitions and investigated 12, 287 cases between May 2023 and May 2024
But the EFCC has set up an Immigration Fraud Section in some of its commands across the country.
The details were contained in a document on the status of systemic war against corruption by the Tinubu administration.
The document reads in part: “The anti-graft war under the Tinubu administration between May 2023 and 2024 has assumed a record breaking dimension with unprecedented petitions of about 15,753.
“The breakdown of the status of the petitions is as follows: Petitions (15,753); Cases Investigated (12,287); Cases filed in court (5,376); and convictions secured (3,451).
“The recoveries within the same period were N231,623,186,004.74; US$70,260,544.18; £29,264.50 (GBP); Euro 208,297.10;$3,950.00 (Canadian ); $740.00 (Australian); 35,000.00 (Rand); 42,390.00 (UAE Dirhams);247.00 (Riyals); and ¥74,754.00 (Yuan).
“So far, the change effected in the EFCC by President Tinubu has brought enhanced performance to the agency. The choice of the Executive Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede was timely with international confidence in the EFCC.”
Meanwhile, in its bid to tackle immigration fraud and its accompanying reputational damage the EFCC has set up an Immigration Fraud Section in some of its commands across the country.
The Executive Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede made the disclosure while receiving a delegation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), led by its Director General, Superintendent Rabhi Abdallah in Abuja.
A statement by the EFCC’s spokesman, Mr. Dele Oyewale quoted Olukoyede as saying that the Section was established barely two weeks ago.
He said the commission was motivated to set it up as “a result of the stream of fraud taking place on immigration matters in the country and the need to protect Nigerians from the antics of immigration fraudsters.
He said: “Apart from what we have done in the foreign exchange market, two weeks ago we set up an Immigration Fraud Section. They are in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and in all our zonal Commands where we have embassies because we have seen quite a lot of fraud in that area.
“ They have scammed people a lot, so we want to devote our attention and resources to that area to ensure that Nigerians and diplomatic missions in Nigerian would not be victims of visa and immigration scam again.”
While explaining the rationale of his visit to the EFCC, Abdallah, said the RCMP delegation was in Nigeria to explore ways of collaboration and partnership with the commission.
He spoke of likely deployment of Canadian law enforcement officers in joint operations and investigations with the EFCC.
He said RCMP might team up with the Commission in other ways that would be beneficial to Nigeria and the West African region.
He added: “The department that I am in charge of in the RCMP is in partnership with government agencies and that partnership comes with some funding and that funding is utilized in the past 30 years to deploy Canadian law enforcement officers to various peace operations around the world, but now in more and more specialized smaller investigations in areas so that we can contribute to stability and make sure that we are providing some levels of support, when and where it is needed.”
