The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has confirmed that his commission has recovered more than $3.1 billion looted funds since he got into office.
Speaking on BBC Hauasa service in London, Magu refused to disclose the actual amount but confirmed that looted money recovered so far was beyond $3.1 billion, adding that the commission had never recovered such an amount since it was established.
Asked on the amount recovered by the EFCC in the ongoing investigations, he said Nigerians would know the amount by May 29, when all the details would be revealed.
“Because of what is going on, I can’t tell you the exact amount we have recovered so far. But we are still collecting the monies. I can’t tell you for now, but what we have recovered within this period alone, was never recorded since the establishment of the EFCC in 2003,” he said.
On reports saying the EFCC had recovered $3.1bn so far, Magu said, “Actually, what we recovered is way beyond that figure. I don’t want to let it out now. On 29 May, we will disclose every detail and Nigerians will know what we have done.”
Magu revealed further that the anti-graft agency was working to establish evidence before inviting former president, Goodluck Jonathan and other accomplices in the arms purchase scandal.
He assured that the EFCC would not skip anybody found culpable in the ongoing probe of arms purchase scandal or other misappropriation of public funds.
“Anybody that is involved in this scandal, we will invite him. It is only that we have to first establish our evidence. Anybody who is guilty, I swear, we will summon him wherever he is. And we have never invited anybody who is guilty. Anybody that we invited, we must have finished with our background study on him.
“We spend not just days for the background work but months until we establish the case before we issue invitation. That is why none of the people we invited has come out clean. Whoever stole public funds and we establish our evidence, I’m telling you we will invite him, without cover. That is how the work is. We compile dossiers of proofs and facts before we invite,” he said. – The News.
