Lorine Emenike
As part of the activities to mark this year’s Africa’s anti-corruption day, the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that corruption is a genuine threat to businesses.
The commission during a road walk in Port Harcourt on Thursday with the theme: “Common African Position on Asset Recovery”, said that collective efforts to tackling the menace of corruption will eliminate it.
The walk which was organised around Port Harcourt metropolis had representatives of other sisters security agencies like the Nigeria Customs, the Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Immigration, Nigeria Police, Civil Defence and representatives of Civil Societies in Rivers state, Youth Corps Members and the media.
In his address, the Port Harcourt zonal head of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa said “Corruption is a threat to genuine businesses but collective strength is stronger than corruption”
He said that recently, EFCC arrested 244 trucks carrying illegal crude products and that soon it will be auctioned and that the proceeds will be utilized by the Nigeria government.
He added that over 200 cases relating to illegal oil bunkering are before the commission, adding that the EFCC has in their custody, more than 70 vessels that are undergoing investigation and prosecution processes.
He stressed that the challenge the commission is having is on the issue of repatriation of illicit funds.
“The theme of this year’s event is to make sure that we have a common position for those resources to be returned back to Africa for the development of our continent. And that is why we a here to sensitize Nigerians about that process”
He said ” The success story of EFCC is enormous. In the last three and a half years, EFCC has recovered over 80 billion naira for the country, and we have recovered landed assets and jewellery worth of about 40 million dollars”
He also added that EFCC is one of the prosecuting agencies that receives arrest made by the Nigeria Navy and the Nigeria Army.
He said that the commission will not deter in reducing economic and financial related crimes in the country to a barest minimum.
