Fraud: EFCC recovers N50m in Kwara

From Oluseyi Dasilva

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday said that it had begun investigation into over 15 properties allegedly owned by some civil servants in Kwara State.
Some of the assets, said to have been allegedly acquired through proceeds of crime which include hotels, filling stations, residential accommodation and microfinance bank, and all scattered in choice areas within Ilorin, the state capital.
The anti-graft agency also said it has made cash recovery of over N50 million, which was returned to the victims of fraud on bond.
Zonal Head of the EFCC in Ilorin, Mr Isyaku Sharu, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Ilorin yesterday, informed that some of the civil servants involved, had confessed to the crime.
He said it was shocking that owners of the properties were civil servants, who do not earn more than N90,000 monthly as salary.
While announcing that the commission has over N200million on interim forfeiture, Sharu said the commission’s operation covers Kogi, Ekiti and Kwara.
“The commission beamed its search light on officials of Kwara State and it is currently investigating over 15 properties in choice areas within Ilorin metropolis ranging from hotels, filling stations, residential accommodation and microfinance bank.
“It will shock you to hear that the alleged owners are civil servants whose earning per month is not more than ninety thousand naira. Some have confessed to the commission and the matter is in court while we also saved the last minutes attempted financial misappropriation of billions of naira from the Kwara state accounts in the last days of May 2019 before the handing over to the new administration,” Sharu said.
The EFCC zonal boss informed that the recovered N50 million included those from some state legislators, who allegedly duped some people, adding that internet fraud is one major area where youth between the ages of 18 and 25 are majorly the perpetrators in the state.
“So far, we have charged over 29 cases to both federal and state high courts, and as at last Friday, we have 15 convictions. The court also ordered their exotic cars, monies running to millions of naira in their account forfeited to the federal government,” he added.
The zonal head of the commission also added that the agency engaged in rigourous campaign against vote buying on the eve of the general elections, saying that it has only one case of vote buying in court awaiting judgment.