EFCC Vows To Prevent Relooting Of Recovered Assets

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has promised Nigerians that it will not allow corrupt individuals to re-loot recovered assets.

The Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, gave the assurance in Kachia, Kaduna State, on Wednesday during a visit to the main campus of the newly established Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia.

The University's facility was taken over by the Federal Government following a court order for the forfeiture of the privately-owned institution.

Nok University was a privately owned institution founded in 2021 by Anthony Hassan, a former Director of Finance and Accounts at the Federal Ministry of Health. However, in June 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja, led by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, issued a final order of forfeiture, finding that Hassan used illicit public funds to acquire the university and related assets, including a water factory, hotel and event centre.

Speaking during his visit, the EFCC Chairman said good governance is a possibility in Nigeria and that Nigerians must enjoy the process of accountability.

He said, "This is a testimony that good governance is a possibility in Nigeria. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given us a marching order to go and ensure delivery of good governance and he has provided the leadership directly and indirectly, by actions and by words.

"Never in the history of this country are we going to allow recovered assets to be re-looted again. So, this is a testimony of accountability, it is a testimony of transparency, it is a testimony of judicious use of recovered asset.

"Nigerians deserve to enjoy the proceeds of accountability and that is why we decided to give this back to the people. After recovery, we feel the people of the immediate community must be the first beneficiaries. So, it is important for us to appreciate the leadership of Mr President because this has not been happening before.

"Just yesterday, I was in Bayelsa State to commission some projects. That ordinarily was not supposed to be in the mandate of the EFCC, but because those projects were built with proceeds of crime; from the money recovered from Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) strictly. And that is what we would be doing going forward.

"The President directed that we handover this project in Kachia to the Ministry of Education which we did openly at the Villa and I did promised at that event that, we will make sure that, the facility is used for what the President has directed. And that is why we are here today to show Nigerians that, Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia is a reality.ÔÇØ