EFCC obtained 313 convictions in 2018 – Magu
Tunde Opalana, Abuja
In the course of 2018 financial year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained 313 convictions across its offices across the country.
The Commission also obtained 160 convictions from January 2019 to date.
The acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, made the disclosure during the Defence of the Commission’s 2019 budget before the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes on Tuesday.
Speaking on the performances of the 2018 budget of EFCC, he said: “Out of the total sum of Twenty Six Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Two Million, Three Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy Nine Naira (N26, 392,396,279.00) appropriated for the Commission in 2018, Fourteen Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy One Million, Two Thousand, Five Hundred and Seventy Seven Naira, Nineteen Kobo (N14, 571,002,577.19) representing 55.21% of total, was fully funded (Released).
With this, however, he said the Commission achieved over 89.72% utilisation in all the categories of monies appropriated for it.
Reeling out part of its achievements, he said the Jabi District headquarters was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This, he said, has gone a long way in easing the office accommodation challenges faced by the Commission in the past.
Magu added that in line with the Commission’s strategic focus of bringing the anti-corruption fight closer to the grassroots, three new zonal offices were conceptualised in 2018.
They are located in Makurdi, Sokoto and Ilorin, saying “I am happy to report that these zonal offices became fully operational in January 2019”.
He added that the Commission’s vision to own a radio station as a vehicle to deepen its prevention mandate began to crystallise during the year with the approval of a provisional licence by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
He added that the Commission has since secured the operating licence and incorporated a company, EFCC Media Communication Ltd, to drive the process of getting the station off the ground.
“While we await the take-off of the station, the EFCC currently has public enlightenment programmes running on a number of private radio stations across the zones where we have offices”, he said.
Speaking on recoveries do far made, the EFCC boss said “in the course of the 2018 Financial Year, the Commission made substantial recoveries.
These include Final Forfeiture (Cash & Accounts) – N11.5; Non -forfeiture Recoveries – N133.8bn; Direct Deposit – N8.92; Tax Recoveries- N38.12bn; Subsidy Recoveries- N1.82bn and Banks (Third party) – N42bn, totaling N236.16bn.
“These are in addition to recoveries of various sums in other currencies, other assets, jewelries (Gold) and recoveries for major government agencies including NNPC and AMCON. Other details are in the appendix on recoveries.
“In the first quarter 2019 Financial Year, the Commission made recoveries which included Cash-N140.7million; Direct Deposits-N2.021billion; Tax Recoveries-N7.20billion; Subsidy Recoveries-N3.06billion; and USD-$0.292billion,” he said.
