Richard Anyebe
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday, said it will go after some outgoing public officials after May 29.
May 29 is Nigeria’s official handover date.
Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, disclosed this in an interview granted to Daily Trust.
In the interview, the EFCC boss did not disclose the names or the number of public officials that the anti-graft agency would go after.
Bawa however, said that at least two ministries were currently under the radar of the commission for fraudulent activities that bordered on procurement processes.
“Currently, we’re investigating two ministries where double payments were made. In one of the ministries, the double payments, cumulatively, were about 20 contracts of over N4bn.
“These were contracts that were done way back in 2018, and then some group of people, so bold, came up with the same narration.
“They moved the documents from the file, forged them, and then of course in a conspiracy of some civil servants, raised vouchers and pay. How can that happen if we have digitalised procurement processes?” Bawa queried.
He also reacted to calls for his sacking by some civil society organisations.
Bawa said, “It is on record that I am the first sitting EFCC chairman to go to court and testify, not once, not twice, or three times. We now have some groups of people that were paid, we know the people that are paying them, coming up with all sorts of gang-ups.
“We are following due process and the rule of law. The court had made a pronouncement, we have appealed that, and there is a stay of execution, what do you expect? We move on!”
According to the EFCC chief, the agency, in the last couple of months, had more than ever before tried to institutionalise the operational activities of the EFCC.
He noted that the EFCC would continue to do the good works that some persons did not want.
“And God willing, come May and June, we are going to make some huge arrests and commence huge prosecutions of people.
“And for those people that are not leaving in May, whenever they are leaving, we will be waiting for them to ensure that justice is done,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kanyi Daily reported that an internet fraudster, better known as “Yahoo Boy”, Oliseh Emeka has been convicted and sentenced to prison for fraud by Justice F.A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba.
The “Yahoo Boy” was arraigned by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one count charge of impersonation and attempting to obtain by false pretence.
