Tina Amanda
Over two hundred and forty-four trucks and vehicles impounded for involvement in illegal petroleum dealings have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, by the Nigerian Army.
Acting Executive Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, who disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the Commission has obtained a court order to auction the trucks, as they are now federal government properties.
According to him, a thorough investigation is ongoing to ensure that due processes are been followed before the release of the trucks to interested Nigerians.
“Most of those trucks and vehicles have been impounded by the Nigerian Army not less than two years, nobody came forward to claim them. We went to court and the court asked us to go for publication, we came out with details, descriptions of the vehicles and after the publication, we stayed more than two weeks, no identification was made. We went back to court, and it was finally forfeited to the federal government. If anyone is contesting that, they should go to the court of appeal.
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“Following the procurement act process, it is going to be very transparent. We will inform everybody, the Military is involved, the Court, EFCC, Department of Petroleum Resources DPR, and Civil society organizations are all involved. We have not handed anything over to anybody yet, all the vehicles that are auctioned are still there.
“After the investigation process, we will ask people to pay the agreed amount, that is the highest bidder will have to pay into designated federal government account, Treasury Single Account TSA and which the payment will also be verified by the finance, not one vehicle have been released in respect to this auction process because we are yet to clear”
The EFCC boss recounted that the Commission has recorded over one thousand two hundred and forty-five corrupt cases in 2019 while urging the media and the public to expose any corrupt practice, irrespective of who commits the crime.
“Last year, in the whole of EFCC, we recorded over one thousand two hundred and forty-five convictions. That is unprecedented, it has never happened before. It is not only peculiar to Nigeria alone, even between the world. We wouldn’t have achieved this without the cooperation of media. The role the media played is very key to our success. We urge the media and public to expose anyone, including the EFCC. Corruption is everywhere, we are fighting corruption inside EFCC and outside the Commission”
