The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Office on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 disclosed how it prevented some Kwara State government officials from misappropriating a sum of N10billion between May 24 and May 29 2019, adding that it was currently investigating over 15 properties in choice areas of Ilorin, the state capital, belonging to civil servants in the state.
Making the disclosure in Ilorin, was the Ilorin Zonal Head of the Commission, Isyaku Sharu, while addressing journalists on the activities of the Commission in the last six months.
According to Sharu, the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Commission has prosecuted no fewer than 29 internet fraudsters in court in the state, securing 15 convictions in the process and the forfeiture of expensive cars and money running into millions of Naira on behalf of the federal government.
โIt has always been a tradition in the country except to macroscopic few, that whenever any government is exiting, it will indulge in mass pilferage as the last minute golden opportunity, hence our resolve to mount a surveillance on all Kwara State Government accounts between 24th and 29th May, 2019 when the states received FAAC, JAAC, VAT and tax refund from the federal government to the tune of about 10 billion.
โI can authoritatively tell you that we saved the state last minute attempted misappropriation of those billions. You will agree with me that official corruption is the greatest killer as officials who ordinarily suppose to guard and protect state resources turned out to misappropriate them. To this end, the commission beamed its searchlight on the state officials and on a credible tip-off, the commission is currently investigating 15 properties in choice areas within Ilorin metropolis.
“The properties range from hotels, filling stations, residential accommodation to micro finance banks. It will shock you to hear that the alleged owners are civil servants.
“Some have confessed to the commission and the matter is in court. In fact, we discovered about N3billion in the accounts of two of them, who are not up to assistant directors in the ministry,โ Sharu said.
According to him, โUpon our assumption of office in December last year in Ilorin, petitions started to trickle in and as usual, the Commission swung into action. As I speak to you, the Commission has cash recovery of over N50million which was returned to the victims of fraud on bond. This includes properties from some legislators who duped some people. The commission has also over N2million interim forfeiture.โ
Speaking on internet fraud, the Ilorin Zonal Head of the EFCC described cyber crime “as a menace whose devastating effect traverses the socio-political and socio-economic being of the nation.”
He regretted that the perpetrators of cyber crime are “youth within the age bracket of 18 and 25 whom the country is looking up to as the future leaders.”
The economic implication of internet fraud according to him, “is such that no serious foreign investor would want to do business in a jurisdiction where the menace of internet fraud prevails.โ
