General
EFCC Recovers N250bn Loot, Secures 3,500 Convictions in One Year
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has successfully recovered looted N250 billion in cash between October 2023 and October 2024.
According to the anti-graft agency, this underscores its renewed efforts in the fight against corruption and financial crimes.
The EFCC said it also recovered millions of dollars, pounds, and other currencies in the past year, and recorded 3,500 convictions, demonstrating a broadening of its focus beyond internet fraud, or “yahoo yahoo,” to include high-profile corruption cases that have cost Nigeria millions.
Speaking during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes at its headquarters, the chairman of the organisation, Mr Ola Olukoyede, highlighted that asset recovery is a central component of the EFCC’s anti-corruption strategy, stressing that depriving suspects of the proceeds of their crimes weakens their ability to resist prosecution.
“If you understand the intricacies involved in financial crimes investigation and prosecution, you will discover that to recover one billion Naira is war. So I told my people that the moment we start an investigation, we must also start asset tracing because asset recovery is pivotal in the anti-corruption fight.
“If you allow the corrupt or those that you are investigating to have access to the proceeds of their crime, they will fight you with it. So one of the ways to weaken them is to deprive them of the proceeds of their crime. So, our modus operandi has changed tremendously. The moment we begin an investigation, we begin asset tracing. That was what helped us to make our recovery.
“The essence of the EFCC mandate is to move Nigeria forward. And I made known my three policy objectives. So, we have embarked on these since October last year with the help of my management team and the entire EFCC staff, and I am happy to announce to you that between October last year and October this year, we were able to recover about N250billion in cash, tens of millions of dollars, tens of millions of Pound Sterling and other currencies,” he stated.
He explained that the commission equally put up a command performance in the area of convictions, amassing about 3500 convictions in the period spanning from October 18, 2023, to October 18, 2024.
“In the area of convictions, we have done over 3000 and we also want to re-orientate your minds that it is not only yahoo yahoo. We have evidence, we have many high-profile cases in which we secured convictions. I wish to remind everyone that this issue of yahoo yahoo thing that some people are treating with kid gloves is a crime that cost the nation over $500,000.
In the aspects of the corruption and fraud prevention mandate of the EFCC, Mr Olukoyede disclosed to the Committee that the Commission within the last one year had emphasized prevention more than ever before and it is set to achieve better and more cost-efficient results with it.
“I believe that the best way of fighting corruption is to prevent it. In the past one year, we have had cause to establish a new Directorate called Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC. The mandate of this Directorate is to work with the Office of the Accountant General to look at the financial releases that go into the MDAs and monitor the implementation of projects because, in the last 20 years, we discovered that we have not done up to 20 per cent of our capital project implementation and execution.”
Mr Olukoyede also touched on the workload of the Commission, noting that “apart from the convictions, we have several cases filed in court. In the last one year, we received over 17,000 petitions and right now, we are investigating over 20,000 cases. Between October 2023 and now, we have opened new case files of over 4800,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Osun State Government has announced plans to institute legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following an alleged freezing of the state’s bank account, describing the action as unlawful and capable of disrupting governance.
The Governor of the state, Mr Ademola Adeleke, through the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, made this disclosure on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke has directed him to challenge the anti-graft agency’s decision at the Federal High Court.
It was widely reported that the anti-graft agency issued a “Post No Debit” directive to the management of First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled, effectively restricting transactions.
He argued that while the commission has the authority to investigate financial records, it cannot freeze a state government’s accounts without first obtaining a court order.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it can’t freeze the accounts without an order of court.
“This step will affect government running, but we will challenge the move and ensure that the agency acts within the ambit of the law,” Mr Jimi-Bada said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police officers stormed the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some members of the bank’s staff.
Mr Ogungbile maintained that Governor Adeleke was not deploying state resources for his re-election campaign and urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of its actions on public services and the welfare of residents.
Governor Adeleke had earlier raised concerns over an alleged plan by the EFCC to freeze all Osun State Government accounts, including those of senior government officials.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as unlawful and politically motivated.
He alleged that the planned freezing of the accounts was intended to cripple government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Governor Adeleke further insisted that there was no legal justification for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacks the authority to take such action against a state government without due legal process.
The EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
