The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has strongly denied recent allegations made by the online news platform Sahara Reporters, which claimed that N54 billion forfeited by associates of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, was “shared” among certain ministers, aides of President Tinubu, and EFCC officials.
In an official statement, the EFCC categorically rejected the claims, asserting that no commission official has ever been involved in the misappropriation or “sharing” of forfeited assets. The Commission described the notion of such practices as “strange” and emphasized that both the EFCC Act, 2004, and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, provide clear guidelines on how forfeited assets are to be managed and into which accounts the proceeds should be deposited.
The EFCC further criticized the report as sensational and aimed at discrediting the agency and others mentioned. “The suggestion of a platform for the ‘sharing’ of forfeited assets is entirely baseless,” the statement read, adding that Sahara Reporters failed to provide any details on when, how, or by whom such an alleged sharing occurred.
Labeling the report as “fiction,” the EFCC warned that it would not tolerate attempts to tarnish its reputation. The Commission urged the public to dismiss the false claims and reiterated its commitment to upholding transparency and integrity in its operations.
