Achimugu accuses EFCC of rights violations

House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to carry out a comprehensive audit of all assets seized, forfeited, recovered, managed, disposed of, or repatriated by government institutions since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, Ibe Okwara Osonwa, during plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Osonwa expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability in the management of recovered public assets, attributing the problem to the absence of a centralised national asset register and weak oversight mechanisms.

He recalled that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empower the National Assembly to investigate the activities of public institutions and scrutinise the management of public funds and assets.

The lawmaker noted that the enactment of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, established a legal framework for the tracing, seizure, forfeiture, recovery, preservation, management and disposal of assets derived from criminal activities, with provisions aimed at promoting transparency and accountability.

According to him, since 1999, anti-corruption agencies, security institutions, ministries, departments, and agencies, regulatory bodies, and the courts have recovered substantial assets linked to corruption, money laundering, terrorism financing, illicit financial flows, and other financial crimes.

He said the assets include cash, landed properties, shares, petroleum assets, luxury vehicles, vessels, aircraft, investments, digital assets and other movable and immovable properties worth trillions of naira.

Despite the huge value of these recoveries, Osonwa lamented that Nigeria still lacks a comprehensive database to track the status, location, value, utilisation, and disposal of recovered assets.

“There is presently no centralised and publicly accessible National Asset Recovery and Management Register capable of providing comprehensive information on the status, value, location, management, disposal, utilisation and proceeds of recovered assets across the Federation,” he said.

He raised concerns over allegations of poor record-keeping, weak valuation procedures, inadequate chain-of-custody systems, asset deterioration, non-remittance of proceeds, conflicts of interest and possible leakages in the management and disposal of recovered assets.

According to him, these shortcomings have undermined public confidence in Nigeria’s asset recovery process and limited the National Assembly’s ability to effectively exercise its oversight responsibilities.

Osonwa argued that deploying digital technology through a unified asset registry would improve transparency, strengthen accountability, enhance inter-agency coordination and provide the public with reliable information on recovered assets.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to conduct a comprehensive audit and verification of all seized, forfeited, recovered, managed, disposed of and repatriated assets held by ministries, departments and agencies, anti-corruption bodies, security agencies and the courts from May 29, 1999, to date.

MEANWHILE, businesswoman and investor, Aisha Achimugu, has publicly accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of violating her fundamental rights, unlawfully targeting her businesses and conducting what she described as a sustained media campaign against her, while urging Nigerian authorities and the international community to uphold the rule of law and protect legitimate investments.

In a lengthy statement made available to The Guardian, Achimugu, an accountant and entrepreneur, said she had endured nearly two years of investigations, asset seizures, account freezes, and public attacks despite maintaining her innocence and cooperating with anti-graft authorities.

She said the campaign had endangered her life, those of her children and parents, damaged her reputation and disrupted investments exceeding $100 million across Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and other industries.

“I am not a criminal, and I have never been convicted of any offence,” she said, adding that she had honoured more than 20 invitations from the EFCC and remained willing to submit herself to due process.

Achimugu alleged that the EFCC froze her personal and corporate bank accounts in connection with investigations involving MBA Forex and Capital Investment after she was wrongly linked to the company.

According to her, her company had undertaken only a single business transaction on behalf of the firm and subsequently refunded N58 million to the commission, as requested.