EFCC secures 55 convictions, recovers N90m in Gombe

The North East Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Gombe says it has secured 55 convictions and recovered over N90 million in six months.

Head of Operations in the zone, Mr Michael Wetkas, disclosed this on Thursday in Gombe during a community road walk against corruption to commemorate the 2019 African Anti-Corruption Day, with the theme: “Assets Recovery”.

Wetkas said the commission also secured the forfeiture of two houses to the Federal Government.

According to him, corruption has been the bane of underdevelopment, unemployment, decayed infrastructure and insecurity in Nigeria.

“Statistics has shown that in Africa, we lose 50 billion dollars yearly. In Nigeria, we have lost over 400 billion dollars between 1960 and 2012.

“Today, we are commemorating the African Day to have one common position with other countries within the continent against corruption.

“We must take ownership of the anti-corruption fight. When you see something, let’s say something. We are always ready to do our job whenever we are called in that regard,” he said.

He added that the commission, acting on information from the public, was able to recover items meant for the internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in Gombe but which were diverted.

Wetkas also stressed that the commission had intervened, following useful information, in the allegations of corruption in the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme of the Federal Government and that some of the cases were already in court.

He warned that anybody engaging in illegal businesses should desist from such act, adding that the commission had stepped up its surveillance in the corruption fighting.

Wetkas also commended Mr Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the commission for his strides in the fight against corruption since he assumed duty in 2015.

He said that the commission also secured 1,207 convictions and recovered over N790 billion under the leadership of Magu.

The head of operations called on everyone in the zone to assist the commission with useful information and to always verify any financial dealing to avoid falling prey to the activities of criminal-minded individuals.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that officials of the commission handed over the recovered food items to the IDPs for whom they were meant.

The food items were donated by the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative to assist the IDPs in the state.