Bawa: EFCC has recovered over $100m for NPA

Abdulrasheed Bawa, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the agency has recovered over $100 million for the Nigerian Ports Authority

Bawa said the recovery was part of the outstanding remittances owed to the country through the Nigerian Ports Authority.

In 2017, the federal government had terminated the boat pilotage agreement it signed with Intels, after Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), said it violated the constitution.

The company was also accused of not paying taxes in 2017 — the same year NPA accused it of failing to remit an outstanding debt.

Speaking at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the presidential media team at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Thursday, Bawa said EFCC had made recoveries directly for the federal government and indirectly to other victims.

“Just a couple of weeks back, we recovered $100 million for the Nigeria Ports Authority but the monies were paid into the account of NPA but through our efforts,” he said.

“Am I not going to record that we have recovered such an amount for NPA? Are you going to see it in the EFCC recovered account with the CBN? No. There are recoveries that are made directly into the EFCC account.

“It is through systems and processes, there is a department of asset forfeiture and recovery management department in EFCC responsible for collating all the data regarding recovered assets, assets on interest forfeiture and assets on final forfeiture as well as their location and of course their management.”

Bawa said there is a department of asset forfeiture and recovery management in EFCC responsible for collating all the data regarding recovered assets, assets on interest forfeiture and assets on final forfeiture as well as their location and management.

“From the time I took over, we have recovered over N6 billion, over $161 million, over £13,000, €1,730, 200 Canadian dollars, CFA 373,000, ¥8,430,” he added.“We have recovered 30 real East’s, one carpet, 13 electronics, one farm land, one factory, two motorcycles, one filling station and about 32 automobiles.”

On a minister who laundered $37 million through real estate, the EFCC chairman said he was making reference to Alison-Madueke, former petroleum minister.

The anti-graft agency had filed charges of money laundering against Alison-Madueke who left the country for the UK shortly before the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Ibrahim Magu, former EFCC chairman, had said Alison-Madueke stole “not less than $2.5 billion” and had secured the final forfeiture of over $80 million worth of properties owned by the former minister.