The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday announced that it has secured about 3,328 convictions in 11 months.
Also, the commission said that just two days ago, it got a court to order an ex-Accountant-General of the Federation to give back N755 million to the Federal Government.
According to The PUNCH, this was disclosed by the EFCC chairman, Abdularasheed Bawa, at a workshop on financial crimes reporting organised for journalists held in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.
According to Bawa, more convictions are being handed down by the Commission as more cases are anticipated to be resolved in the final five weeks of the year.
The EFCC boss who was represented by the Zonal Commander of EFCC in Port Harcourt, Nwanneka Nwokike, said the fight against corruption requires concerted efforts from Nigerians.
In order to help the anti-corruption campaign, he urged the general public and the media to report instances of corruption to the anti-graft agency.
He also urged journalists to inform the public about voting responsibly and to avoid being corrupted by anti-democratic forces.
Bawa said as the 2023 election approaches, the political recruitment process was vital to the anti-corruption cause, noting that choosing leaders with an integrity deficit could imperil the campaign and erode the gains of the past few years.
He said, “In the area of prosecution of cases in court, we are also making progress despite the antics of some defendants to delay trials.
“From January to November 18, 2022, EFCC has recorded 3,328 convictions. This number is on the rise because there are cases expected to be concluded in the remaining five weeks of the year.
“Two days ago, we got the court to forfeit to the Nigerian Government, a sum of N755million which was recovered from a former Accountant-General of the Federation, and three luxury properties worth millions of naira recovered from, Col Bello Fadile, a former aide to erstwhile National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
“Remarkable as this feat is, we are not resting on our efforts. We believe there is still work to be done, which is why we are actively seeking the support of all stakeholders including the media.
“The Anti-Corruption campaign requires a concerted effort. I enjoin members of the public including the media to be part of the effort by reporting cases of corruption to the EFCC.
“This duty requires urgency as we approach the 2023 general elections when our nation shall be electing a new set of leaders.”
Continuing, the EFCC boss said, “The political recruitment process is vital to the Anti-Corruption cause as picking leaders with integrity deficit could imperil the campaign and erode the gains of the past few years.
“I, therefore, call on you to assist in enlightening Nigerians to vote wisely and shun the corruptive influences of Anti-democratic forces.” He said.
