It has come to our notice that the EFCC is investigating ex and serving state governors for graft. This was made known by the acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu.
He also said that suspects who worked hand in hand with the governors were being invited for questioning. However, he did not disclose the identities of those under probe, his reasons being that saying such would jeopardise investigations.
Speaking at a press conference marking the 2020 Democracy Day in Abuja on Thursday, Magu said the agency had recovered assets in excess of N980bn in the last five years.
He also disclosed that the commission within the same period recovered a large array of non-monetary assets that include real estate, private jets, oil vessels, filling stations, schools, hotels, trucks, cars, jewellery, shopping malls and electronics. He noted,
“We are on course in all the cases we are prosecuting, our scorecard in the area of conviction is 2,240 in the last five years and we covered assets in excess of N980bn, with quite a large array of non-monetary assets.
We are also investigating serving and former governors and questioning those conniving with them.”
On the case of former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Kalu, Magu said the EFCC would go back to court.
The Commissioner of Police added that the investigation by the United Kingdom police into activities of a former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke was taking too long, adding that the EFCC had placed her on a watch list and on red alert by the Interpol system.
Meanwhile, the Lagos zonal office of the EFCC said on Thursday that secured 257 convictions and recovered the sums of N14, 099,952,688.22, $5, 723, 042 and €31,500 in the last one year.
The anti-graft agency added that it arrested 1,444 suspects with over 300 of them, including Internet personality, Ismaila Mustapha, alias Mompha, “and his conspirator, Hamza Khoudeih,” arraigned in court.
A statement on Thursday by the zone’s Head of Public Affairs, Ayo Oyewole, quoted the Lagos Zonal Head of the EFCC, Muhammed Rabo, to have given the figures. Rabo said,
“In fact, we are prepared, more than ever before, for a more robust collaboration with the FBI this year”.
