We’ve secured conviction of 1,000 Nigerians – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has explained that it has so far secured the convictions of over 1,000 suspected fraudsters in both public and private sectors in the country.

EFCC added that hundreds of graft corruption cases were pending in various courts across the country while billions of naira had been recovered from the culprits.


Executive Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, stated this on Monday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during a two-day workshop on Budget Monitoring And Tracking organised for community-based organisation, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations, the media and local government staff.

Represented by the Director of Public Affairs Department of the agency, Mr. Osita Nwajah, the chairman called for reform of the judiciary to fast-track the prosecution of graft offenders.

Lamorde said the commission came up with the idea of the workshop under its prevention mandate to ensure citizens’ participation at all levels of budget processes for better service delivery.

According to him, often times, funds allocated to the provision of basic social amenities and infrastructure, are either embezzled or completely diverted, partly due to lack of monitoring of such allocations.

He noted that management of public funds was secretive and the accountability, very poor, adding that the commission was convinced that if it embarked on an intensive sensitisation, civic education and training of stakeholders on budget processes, there would be an improvement in the people’s advocacy capacity to be able to influence budget outcomes at all levels of government.

Lamorde added, “Participation in budget process is a constitutional right. Therefore, your insistence to participate in it does not violate any law; rather, it strengthens governance and leads to accelerated development and reduction in corrupt practices at all levels of government.”

Head of Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the EFCC, Hajia Aisha Musa, said the workshop was one of the prevention strategies adopted by the commission to tackle corruption, economic and financial crimes, and to ensure the building of the capacity of the participants to be able to effectively and efficiently participate in budget process for better service delivery.