Politics
CSOs, Falana Urge Probe of ₦1.23trn Recoveries, ₦78.8bn Transfers
Civil society organisations and human rights lawyer Femi Falana have called for investigations and greater accountability over recovered public assets...
By Wavers News
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its reported recovery of approximately ₦1.23 trillion and $684.48 million between October 2023 and June 2026.
The recoveries were accompanied by forfeiture orders covering more than 10,000 assets, including 1,177 properties, 251 plots of land, 370 vehicles and a 753-unit housing estate in Abuja.
HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the importance of the recoveries goes beyond the amount of money and number of assets involved, arguing that they could contribute to public welfare, strengthen accountability and improve confidence in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
He cited the reported allocation of ₦50 billion each to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDITCORP) as examples of how recovered resources could be redirected to programmes that benefit citizens.
HEDA also welcomed the transfer of the recovered 753-unit Abuja housing estate to the Federal Ministry of Housing, describing it as an opportunity to turn a recovered asset into social and economic value.
The organisation further noted that more than 40 EFCC personnel had been dismissed over corruption and financial malpractice, with more than five of those affected facing prosecution.
Meanwhile, Falana has called on the EFCC to work with the Auditor-General of the Federation to recover ₦33.75 billion in cash transfers that the Federal Government could not provide sufficient evidence had reached more than 3.29 million intended beneficiaries.
The issue was raised in the Auditor-General’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in federal ministries, departments and agencies.
Falana urged the EFCC to investigate the alleged diversion of the funds and prosecute public officials found responsible.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has also asked President Bola Tinubu to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office to account for the funds.
SERAP wants the government to publish the full records and audit trail of the ₦33.751 billion transferred in 2023, including beneficiary details, payments, verification records, authorisations and reconciliations.
The organisation also called for explanations over the failure to provide REMITA records requested by the Auditor-General.
Other expenditures flagged for clarification include ₦36.744 billion in payments made without prepayment audit, ₦4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures, ₦350.182 million in enrolment payments, ₦89.511 million in store purchases and ₦17.422 million in diesel advances.
SERAP further called for investigations into ₦76.24 billion in questionable and unaccounted-for expenditures at the National Cash Transfer Office and ₦2.55 billion at the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office.
It urged the relevant authorities to recover and remit any funds found to have been improperly spent, diverted or lost.