The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says a total number of 7,340 cases were still under investigation as at 30th of December out of the 10,152 petitions received by the agency.
The acting Chairman of the commission, Mohammed Umar Abba, who disclosed this in his end of the year message, added that the commission secured 865 convictions from a total of 1,305 cases it filed in the courts in 2020.
According to the anti-graft agency’s boss, the commission made significant cash recoveries and seizure of a significant number of assets from persons indicted of corruption, following the due legal process.
Spokesperson of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, quoted Abba to have thanked the commission staff for “their dedication, hard work and sacrifices in the discharge of their duties, which contributed to the feat recorded in 2020.”
He described the year under review as “unique for obvious reasons” saying the EFCC’s projections anchored on a strategic vision were greatly slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said, “The lockdown enforced as part of measures to stem the spread of the deadly virus precipitated a scale-down of our operations. For more than five months, activities were at the lowest ebb in our 17-year history as an institution.
“Also, a reform process that witnessed a change in the leadership of the commission naturally created anxiety among critical stakeholders. As a dynamic and responsive organisation, we will continually engage staff and review policies to motivate all for greater performance.”
He charged the staff to be more committed to the anti-graft campaign, adding that “if the EFCC fails, the fight against corruption in Nigeria is imperiled.”