- Gives Details in Scorecard
“From January to October this year, the Commission recorded 890 convictions, a record unsurpassed by any agency anywhere in the world.
Matilda Omonaiye/
With the conviction of 890 offenders from January to October, this year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has broken a world record.
Presenting the agency’s scorecard during a town hall meeting today at the NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja, the EFCC boss, Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, gave details of how successful the war with fraudsters has been and the challenges being faced by the anti-graft body.
Here is the full text of Magu’s speech:
I am honoured to be a part of this town hall meeting, which offers a unique platform for the exchange of ideas for a new road map to confronting the scourges of fraud and corruption, the twin evils responsible for our stagnation as a country.
For me, this is a moment to share experiences from my four-year tour of duty at the helm of the EFCC, leading the Commission’s charge against all forms of corruption in Nigeria.
It is true that corruption is the greatest problem holding back our country from fulfilling its potentials. It is entrenched in all sectors. But in the last four years, the EFCC, backed by the political will of President Muhammadu Buhari, has through a combination of enforcement and preventive measures, proven that this monster can be tamed. All that is needed is a combination of guts, integrity and determination.
At this juncture, it will be helpful that we provide snippets on our efforts, over the past four years:
PREVENTIVE EFFORTS
The law which establishes the EFCC gives the Commission the power to take measures to prevent corruption and other forms of economic crimes. This mandate sits perfectly with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, as well as the United Nations Convention against Corruption, UNCAC recommendation that 60 per cent of anti-corruption efforts should be devoted to preventive measures.
The EFCC over the last four years has executed a corruption prevention strategy that targets the most vulnerable segment of the population in the delivery of anti-corruption messages.
These are: Children, Youths and Women
The specific programmes executed include:
1. Establishment of Integrity Clubs in primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions in all states of the federation.
2. Organization of the Clean Hands Initiative for school children.
3. Special corruption and cybercrime sensitization for National Youth Corps Members during their orientation programme.
4. Establishment of Anti-corruption Community Development Clubs for corps members during their post-orientation service year.
5. Launch of the Women Against Corruption (WAC) programme
6. Hosting of the first-ever Anti-corruption marathon.
7. Active participation in observing the yearly December 9 International Anti-corruption day.
8. Periodic corruption awareness Road Walks.
9. Mobilizing an interfaith committee, made up of leaders of the two major faiths, Islam and Christianity, to help propagate the anti-corruption message. We have published two big anti-corruption training manuals based on the work of the committee, which are being used by clerics in churches and mosques to preach to their congregations.
10. Regular town hall/ stakeholder meetings involving Civil Society Organisations, labour unions, religious leaders, traditional leaders, youth organizations, media practitioners, opinion leaders, etc.
11. Sponsorship of special anti-corruption programmes on national radio and television. The Commission produces The Eagle on Radio and TV. Also, there are special programmes being aired on radio stations in the zones where the Commission has an office.
The Commission believes that preventing corruption is ultimately more cost-effective given the huge resources needed in investigating and prosecuting corruption cases. But all citizens must key into this vision for the impact to be fundamental.
However, the Commission is determined to fully express its strength to ensure that the monster called corruption is tamed. For this reason, our enforcement activities remain on high alert.
ATTRACTING INVESTORS TO NIGERIA
Activities of the EFCC have helped to restore the confidence of international investors in our economy. The investigation of some controversial cases hitherto treated as off-limits has erased the perception of Nigeria as a country that pays lip service to the rule of law. An example of such investigation is the one that is widely referred to as the Malabu oil scandal, where we have successfully brought charges against two former ministers for allegedly defrauding Nigeria to the tune of $1.2billion, regarding Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245.
There is also the $9.6billion Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID) Limited arbitral award against Nigeria by a UK commercial court. EFCC’s investigation and consequent arraignment of P&ID Limited and P&ID Nigeria Limited on charges of fraud and dealing in petroleum products without a license, led to the liquidation of the companies and the forfeiture of their properties to the federal government by order of the court.
The investigation raises serious corporate governance issues in the purported gas processing and utilization contract, which could assist Nigeria to navigate the legal land mines in the UK.
CYBERCRIME INVESTIGATIONS
Also, the EFCC has consistently striven to alter the narratives about Nigeria being a country of fraudsters. This is manifest in our determined efforts to tackle the Internet and other forms of computer-based frauds. We record almost daily arrests and convictions of Internet fraudsters, but two major milestones were recorded recently. These are the arrest of Ismaila Mustapha, a social media celebrity popularly known as Mompha and his Lebanese accomplice, Hamza Koudeih.
Mompha was arrested on October 18 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while he was on his way to Dubai, United Arab Emirate. Mompha’s arrest paved the way for the apprehension of Koudeih, in his palatial Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower home in Victoria Island, Lagos, home.
The two suspects allegedly laundered N33 billion, through three companies. With his Ismalob Global Investments Limited, Mompha laundered N14 billion, via 51 bank accounts he operated in the country. With THK Services Limited and CHK properties Limited, Koudeih laundered N19 billion.
Upon his arrest, five wristwatches valued at over N60million were recovered from Mompha.
PROSECUTION
EFCC does not stop at investigating high profile cases. It has also stepped hard on the pedal to bring several cases to conclusion in court, resulting in numerous convictions of fraudsters.
From January to October this year, the Commission recorded 890 convictions, a record unsurpassed by any agency anywhere in the world.
The conviction figures for the preceding years are as follows:
2015 103
2016 189
2017 190
2018 312
RECOVERIES 2015 TILL DATE:
Asset recovery is key in denying the corrupt the enjoyment of the proceeds of his/her crime. It also affords the country the opportunity to channel recovered funds into national development.
Within this period, the Commission has recovered several hundred billions of Naira, which are in various categories of forfeitures. Some of these funds were recovered for third party individuals, companies, as well as government agencies such as NNPC, FIRs, AMCON and also state governments.
Several thousand of movable and immovable properties have been recovered within the period. These are also subject of either interim or final forfeiture orders.
VOTE BUYING
The Commission’s intervention in the 2019 General Election against the scourge of vote-buying was groundbreaking.
For the first time in the history of electioneering in Nigeria, operatives of the Commission were deployed to monitor polling stations and result collation centres to discourage the deployment of cash by politicians to swing voting outcomes. The efforts culminated in some cash seizures and arrests. Some of those arrested have been prosecuted and convicted.
OTHER NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Completion of an ultramodern head office complex in Jabi, Abuja.
2. Expansion of Commission operation with the opening of more zonal offices.
3. Commencement of development of new EFCC Academy in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
4. Obtained broadcast license for EFCC Radio.
5. Equipping the EFCC Forensics Laboratory through donor support.
6. Improving the capacity of staff through training programmes, some funded by international organisations.
7. Joint operations and collaborations with international law enforcement organisations.
CHALLENGES
Fighting corruption comes with its peculiar challenges. The corrupt are not going to fold their hands while you retrieve what they had stolen. They would fight back. This has come in the form of:
i. Sponsored media attacks and even violent attacks against operatives of the Commission. My farmhouse in Nasarawa state was attacked.
ii. Sponsorship of unwarranted amendment of EFCC laws, to reduce its powers and undermine the effectiveness of the agency.
iii. Undermining and distracting the leadership of the Commission
OTHER CHALLENGES ARE:
1. Funding- There is not enough funding support for expanding activities of the Commission, especially the huge cost of investigation and prosecution of cases.
2. Lack of progress in some high profile corruption cases due to the antics of defence lawyers, especially some senior advocates.
3. Lack of cooperation by some institutions in both public and private sectors that should be working side – by – side with the Commission in the fight against corruption.
4. Lack of cooperation by some foreign countries in the recovery of stolen assets stashed abroad.
5. Insufficient manpower to cope with the ever-increasing cases of corruption and economic crimes
6. Inadequate accommodation for staff in zonal offices
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that, no one agency can fight the ills of corruption alone, as such, we must all work together as hunters of fraud and corruption in order to salvage our country from the corrupt few.
Thank you for listening
0
[…] 2019: EFCC Broke World Record with 890 Convictions in 9 … […]