EFCC Recovers ₦1.05bn for 659 Disengaged Adamawa Teachers
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over ₦1.05 billion to 659 disengaged staff of the Adamawa State Post-Primary Schools Management Board as recovery of their outstanding entitlements following years of legal battles.
The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the commission presented a bank draft worth ₦1,054,919,532.61 to the beneficiaries, marking a major breakthrough in efforts to secure payment of their entitlements.
The Acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Austine Adache, said the recovery reflected the commission’s commitment to accountability, justice and the restitution of funds to their rightful owners.
At the handover ceremony, Adache reaffirmed the EFCC’s determination to ensure that victims of financial misconduct receive appropriate redress in accordance with the law.
Counsel to the beneficiaries, Luka Musa Haruna, SAN, who received the draft on their behalf, commended the commission for its painstaking investigation and successful recovery of the funds.
Haruna also expressed confidence in the EFCC’s capacity to combat economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.
Similarly, Abraham B. Song, whose petition triggered the investigation, praised the commission for its intervention, saying the recovered money would help ease the financial hardship suffered by the affected workers.
The recovery followed a petition Song submitted to the EFCC in 2024, alleging that the beneficiaries were employed by the Adamawa State Government in 2012 and worked for 29 months in various secondary schools across the state.
Their appointments were reportedly declared illegal by the state government in 2014, prompting the affected workers to approach the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
The court, sitting at the Yola Judicial Division in Jos, subsequently ordered the Adamawa State Government to pay their outstanding entitlements.
However, the alleged failure to comply with the judgment led to garnishee proceedings against the state government’s bank accounts.
During its investigation, the EFCC reportedly received intelligence suggesting a risk of suspicious misapplication of the funds. The commission subsequently took steps to preserve the money while its investigation continued, paving the way for the eventual recovery and handover.
The development brings relief to the 659 former staff members, who had pursued payment of their entitlements for years.
The EFCC said the recovery and restitution underscored its commitment to protecting victims of financial wrongdoing and ensuring that recovered funds are returned to their rightful beneficiaries.
