EFCC's Landmark Recovery Sparks Controversy: Unpacking the Details

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made headlines with its record-breaking recovery of 753 duplexes and apartments in Abuja. However, the celebration has been short-lived, as controversy has erupted over the handling of the recovery.

At the center of the storm is Omoyele Sowore, a prominent activist, who has accused the EFCC of a cover-up. Sowore claims that the EFCC has deliberately concealed the identities of those behind the properties, sparking concerns about the Commission's commitment to transparency.

The EFCC has fired back, dismissing Sowore's allegations as "tantrums" and "grossly un-charitable." According to the Commission, the recovery was made possible by actionable intelligence, and the proceedings were in line with the Advance Fee Fraud Act.

So, what's really going on? The controversy surrounding the EFCC's landmark recovery raises important questions about transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

The EFCC's Response

The EFCC has maintained that its actions were guided by the law. The Commission cited Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, which allows for the forfeiture of assets linked to criminal activities, even if no individual has been directly identified as the owner.

Sowore's Critique

Sowore's criticism centers on the lack of transparency regarding the true owners of the properties. He argues that the EFCC's investigation has been overly focused on symbolic victories rather than addressing the systemic roots of corruption.

As the controversy continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the fight against corruption in Nigeria is far from over. The EFCC's landmark recovery may have been a significant achievement, but it has also highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the country's anti-corruption efforts.

EFCC PRESS STATEMENT

Sowore and Co-Travellers’ Tantrums against EFCC’s Landmark Recovery

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is following with keen interest, the flurry of reactions to its record-breaking recovery of 753 duplexes and other apartments on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.

The commentaries of reform-minded Nigerians to the Commission’s painstaking efforts in securing the final forfeiture of the Estate to the Federal Government of Nigeria, are appreciated. However, the denigration of such efforts by Omowole Sowore and his think-same and act-same, is unacceptable and grossly un-charitable.

The allegation of a cover up of the identity of the promoters of the Estate stands logic on the head in the sense that the proceedings for the forfeiture of the Estate were in line with Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act which is a civil proceeding that allows for action-in-rem rather than action-in-personam. The latter allows legal actions against a property and not an individual, especially in a situation of an unclaimed property. This Act allows you to take up a forfeiture proceeding against a chattel that is not a juristic person. This is exactly what the Commission did in respect of the Estate.

The proceedings that yielded the final forfeiture of the Estate were products of actionable intelligence available to the Commission. The company flagged by our investigations denied ownership of the Estate following publications made in leading national newspapers. On the basis of this, the Commission approached the court for an order of final forfeiture which Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court granted on Monday, December 2, 2024.

The expectation of the EFCC from citizen Sowore is a patriotic appreciation of its efforts in securing such a landmark forfeiture. It is shocking that the activist is not concerned about the systemic lassitude and unhelpful permissiveness that allowed such a monstrous corrupt act in the first instance. Nigerians should gear up more against lapses and loopholes in our system that continue to make the nation vulnerable to corrupt tendencies. The EFCC will continue to safeguard the financial space of the nation against manipulators and organised brigandage.

It is important to note that the substantive criminal investigation on the matter still continues. It will be unprofessional of the EFCC to go to town by mentioning names of individuals whose identities were not directly linked to any title document of the properties. The EFCC is unwavering in its no-sacred-cow approach to every matter and together we will make Nigeria greater.

Dele Oyewale

Head, Media & Publicity

December 3, 2024

Sowore releases Court documents on his social media X platform

"This is the most reckless and irresponsible statement I've read from a government agency in a long while. The assertions here are also patently irresponsible.

I have obtained court proceedings and an affidavit sworn to by an @officialEFCC investigator who named the names of those behind this real estate fraud. I maintain that referring to the person @GodwinIEmefiele smacks of an attempt to cover up his misdeeds and those of his collaborators; the truth is that the court proceedings tell otherwise.

I will attach some court documents here so the public can see the @officialEFCC 's disservice in this matter."