By Olaitan Ibrahim
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has explained why it did not mention the name of anyone linked to the 753 duplexes and other apartments on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09 it recovered in Lokogoma District, Abuja.
The EFCC had described the recovery of the estates as ‘record-breaking’ after it got the court order to take over the property.
The EFCC had described the owner of the estate as a top federal government official in a statement it released to confirm that it has gotten forfeiture order to take over the estate.
However, some Nigerians, a while commending the anti-graft agency had faulted its failure to disclose the name of the owner of the Estate.
Specifically, activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore had accused the anti-graft agency of cover up.
Sowore noted that while EFCC is always eager to publish the names and other identities of suspects its operatives arrested for internet fraud, it decided to protect the identity of the owner of the estate who is involved in even a more humongous theft of national resources.
However, EFCC in a statement by Dele Oyewale, its spokesperson, described the claim by Sowore and others with similar views as unacceptable and grossly un-charitable.
The Commission said 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-persona.
“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,” the anti-graft agency said.