EFCC: Report on Betta Edu Submitted to Presidency, Top Bankers Under Probe, N248bn Recovered in 1 Year
By Juliet Vincent
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said some top bank executives are under its radar of investigation for various offences.
EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwajaren, disclosed this while rolling out achievements of the commission under the Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
The Commission pointed out that about five bank executives are serving various jail terms at custodial centres in the country.
Besides, it stated that preliminary report on the investigation of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu has been submitted to President Bola Tinubu
“It’s just for us to look back and realise that EFCC has never shifted focus from any sector. Between 2009 and 2011, at least five bank executives were investigated and served their jail terms. There are still some that are under investigation.
“They are not politicians. Bank MDs are not immune to investigations or prosecution by the EFCC. We cannot mention names until those things are concluded,“ he said.
Commenting on the matter of Betta Edu, Uwajaren said, he don’t know the outcome but “believe that we have submitted a preliminary report to the president. And I believe that we are still on the matter.
“The last time I checked, we mentioned the number of bank accounts that we were monitoring. We were looking at about 140 accounts. And we know it takes time to look into and get the required information,” Uwajaren explained.
Dwelling on crossdresser Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, Uwujaren said he could face a fresh charge from the commission if the allegations against the EFCC are false.
Bobrisky had in a voice note shared by controversial social critic, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, allegedly said he bribed EFCC officers with N15m to drop money laundering charges against him.
Although the EFCC denied the allegations, it set up a committee to investigate the matter.
Uwujaren stated that one could be charged for giving false information to the EFCC, let alone making false allegations against the commission.
On achievements on the period under review, Uwujaren said a total of ₦248bn has been recovered while four former governors and three former ministers have been prosecuted under Olukoyede.
The governors are Yahaya Adoza Bello (Kogi), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Willie Obiano (Anambra) and Darius Dickson Ishaku (Taraba). The former are Saleh Mamman, Olu Agunloye and Hadi Sirika.
He said under Olukoyede’s stewardship, EFCC secured 3455 convictions across all categories of financial crimes and corruption.
“Also in the one year of Olukoyede’s leadership, the EFCC recorded $105,423,190.39; £ 53,133.64; €172,547.10; T1,300.00; CAD $ 3,400.00; ¥74,859:00 (Seventy-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Nine Chinese Yuan); AUS $ 740:00; 170:00 UAE DIRHAM; 73,000:00 KOREAN WON; CFA 7,821,375:00 to R 50:00,” he added.
He said more than 35 were convicted for Naira abuse.
“The convicts cut across different classes of society, with Idris Okuneye (a.k.a. Bobrisky) and Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, a Nollywood actress who bagged six months imprisonment, topping the chart of high-profile convicts in this regard. Another offender, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu (a.k.a. Cubana Chief Priest), had his charges compounded and was fined,” he stated.
