EFCC convicts 192 corrupt persons in three months

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, said it has convicted 192 corrupt persons from January 2019 till March.

EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu said the commission has also recovered more than N251 billion within the three months.

Magu made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja when defending EFCC’s 2019 budget proposal before Nigeria House of Representatives committee on anti-corruption and financial crimes.

“In the course of the year 2018 financial year, the commission obtained 313 convictions across its offices. It interesting to know that the commission has also obtained 192 convictions from January 2019 to date.”

“In the first quarter of 2019 financial year, the commission made recoveries which include cash recovery of N140.7 million, direct deposit of N2.021 billion, tax recoveries of N7.20 billion, subsidy recovery – N3.06 billion, and USD recovery of $292 million,” Magu said.

The EFCC boss said the financial recovery shows the rising case of financial crime in the country as only N239.16bn was recovered in the whole of 2018.

He also revealed that the anti-graft agency obtained 313 convictions in 2018 while more than 190 convictions have been secured since January 2019.

Magu, however, identified incomplete budgetary releases as a major reason for the inability of the agency to meet its needs and obligations.

He appealed to the House Committee to increase the budgetary allocation for the EFCC in 2019, in order to carry out its duties effectively.

The chairman of the House committee, Kayode Oladele, promised the EFCC that the lawmakers would consider their requests.

Oladele said the committee would continue to support the sustenance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption and EFCC’s transformation into world-class anti-graft institution.