EFCC recovers N106.5b, others in eight months

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered N106.5billion between January and last month, its Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu said on Wednesday.

It also recovered $1,635,925.81 (about N591,419,898.83), £629,193.65 (about N294,717,451.63) and €25,575 (about N10,743,798.05) within the period.

Magu, who met with editors at the commission’s Ikoyi, Lagos office, denied that the anti-graft war is targeted at the opposition members.

He said despite “distractions and irritations by the corrupt,” the commission has secured 158 convictions this year, including two former governors who were jailed for 14 years each.

“At this rate, I am confident that we will surpass the record of 189 convictions achieved in 2017,” Magu said.

The commission has been accused of going after only those in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while ignoring corruption allegations against members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Magu, however, insisted that EFCC is apolitical and only goes after those who break the law.

To him, those accusing the commission of political persecution were shedding crocodile tears.

Magu said: “It will be naïve for anyone to expect the fight against corruption to be smooth; you should expect resistance, which is expressed in various guises.

“With the general election fast approaching, the resistance has assumed even frightening dimensions with political motives imputed to most of our activities.”