EFCC recovers $153m from Diezani — Chairman
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, revealed that the commission has recovered $153 million from a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison Madueke.
The Vanguard reported the chairman as making the disclosure in the April edition of the EFCC magazine, EFCC Alert.
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According to the chairman, no fewer than 80 choice properties valued at $80 million were seized from Mrs Madueke and handed over to the federal government.
The chairman, however, pointed out that justice was still far from reality given the fact that the former minister was out of Nigeria’s jurisdiction.
“There are several cases surrounding Diezani’s case. I was part of that investigation, and we have done quite a lot. In one of the cases, we recovered $153 million; we have secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $80 million. We have done quite a bit on that.
“The other cases as it relates to the $115 million INEC bribery, is also ongoing across the federation. We are looking forward to the time we will, maybe, have her in the country, and, of course, review things and see what will happen going forward. The case has certainly not been abandoned.’’
According to Mr Bawa, no amount of pressure would manipulate him to act in opposition of the duties assigned to him as the chairman of the EFCC.
“I am not going to pay allegiance to individuals in the government.
“If anybody is coming to ask me to do something that is contrary to my conscience or what the EFCC is set out to achieve, I’m going to resign.
“The only job I know after graduation is the EFCC, which I joined in 2004. I rose through the ranks from an ordinary team member, to the first EFCC team leader from the regular staff of the EFCC.
“I became a sectional head, became the zonal head in Ibadan, zonal head in Port Harcourt, and zonal head in Lagos. Lagos is the biggest operational hub of the EFCC with over 600 personnel. Port Harcourt is next to it in terms of complexity and staff strength.
“I happen to be the first EFCC regular staff to head three different zones before my appointment as the chairman.
“The records are there. And it is a challenge I have taken upon myself to do without fear or favour. That is the truth.”
