The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Head of Operations in the North East Zonal Office in Gombe State, Mr Michael Wetkas has said that the commission has recovered over N90 million and secured 55 convictions in six months.
He disclosed this on Thursday in Gombe State during a community road walk against corruption in commemoration of the 2019 African Anti-Corruption Day, themed, “Assets Recovery”.
Wetkas claimed that the commission also secured the forfeiture of two houses to the Federal Government.
According to him, corruption has been the cause of underdevelopment, decayed infrastructure, and insecurity in Nigeria.
“Today, we are commemorating the African Day to have a common position with other countries on the continent against corruption.”
“Statistics has shown that in Africa, we lose $50 billion yearly. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, we have lost over $400 billion between 1960 and 2012.
“We must take ownership of the anti-corruption fight. When you see something, let’s say something. We are always ready to do our job whenever we are called in that regard,” he said.
He added that the commission, acting on information from the public, was able to recover diverted items meant for internally-displaced persons {IDPs} in Gombe.
Wetkas stressed that the commission had intervened, following useful information, in the allegations of corruption in the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme of the Federal Government and that some of the cases were already in court.
He also claimed that the commission has secured 1,207 convictions and recovered over N790 billion under Ibrahim Magu’s leadership.
