EFCC scorecard: 315 convictions secured, 350 properties seized in one year
Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, yesterday presented the agency’s scored for last year.
He said the commission secured 315 convictions and recovered N236.16 billion worth of assets in 2018.
Besides, Magu also said that huge cash of different denominations were seized from politicians and their associates during the just-concluded general elections.
The EFCC chair spoke in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, during the ongoing Ninth Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa.
His presentation was titled: “Creative initiatives in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.”
Magu said: “I seize this opportunity to inform you over important milestones recorded by the EFCC in the anti- graft war in Nigeria.
“These included unprecedented assets’ tracing and recovery, as well as healthy convictions in criminal prosecution. The figures were 189 convictions in 2017 and more than N437 billion, $98 million seven million Euros and £294,000 in assets recovery.
“We have sustained the momentum. Indeed, the Commission’s movement into a new head office complex, which commissioning was witnessed by some of you, energized the workforce, resulting in dramatic improvements in all the mandate areas of the commission.
“In the last one year, the commission almost doubled its conviction return with a record 315 convictions in 2018 and over N236.16 billion worth of assets recovered. Assets forfeited in the year include 350 properties, 141 automobiles, 100 real estate, 3 vessels, 37 plots of land, two hotels, one barge, gas petrol stations and 44 bank accounts.
“These efforts marginally affected the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2018, where the country moved four steps in the latest ranking.”
Speaking on the Inter Agency Relationships, Magu said: “As an agency which is not used to working in silos, the EFCC consistently strives to assist other agencies of government in tackling corruption.
“This quest in 2018 saw the commission assisting the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, in recovering N6, 316,041,396.21 in unremitted tax revenues. It equally assisted in the recovery of the sums of N541, 975,000.00 for the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON.
“The commission recovered N1, 590,039,312.54; N1, 760,000,000.00 and N1, 030, 246,938.51 for AMCON, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and FIRS respectively, from January to April, 2019.
