The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied allegations of sharing forfeited assets among its officials, ministers, and President Bola Tinubu’s aides.
This comes after reports claimed that the EFCC shared N54 billion forfeited by associates of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele.
In a statement, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale described the publication as false and misleading, stating that the notion of sharing proceeds of forfeited assets is foreign to the commission.
Oyewale said no EFCC official has ever been involved in such activities, urging the public to disregard the report.
The EFCC clarified that both the EFCC Act, 2004, and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, clearly outline the procedures for managing forfeited assets. According to the commission, all proceeds of forfeited assets are paid into designated accounts, leaving no room for “sharing” or misappropriation.
“The sensational report which was promoted ostensibly to scandalise the agencies mentioned, betrays the author’s ignorance of the existing asset recovery and management framework.
“Both the EFCC Act, 2004 and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, are unambiguous in terms of the accounts into which proceeds of forfeited assets are to be paid.
“There is no ‘platform’ for the ‘sharing of forfeited assets’; the notion itself being infantile,” the statement said.