EFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity Schools

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has transferred 1,452 recovered items, seized as proceeds of crime, to the Federal Ministry of Education. These items, comprising 501 double-step bunk beds and 939 mattresses, will be distributed to schools across Nigeria.

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We are gathered here this afternoon to witness the handover to the Federal Ministry of Education of some recovered proceeds of crime duly forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede presented the items in Abuja, explaining they were recovered during "Operation Eagle Flush," a nationwide operation in late 2024 against cybercrime and financial offenses. This operation resulted in 792 arrests, including 193 foreign nationals who were prosecuted and deported.

Olukoyede stated that channeling recovered assets to benefit Nigerians directly aligns with President Bola Tinubu's directive. He noted that children and youth are significant victims of corruption, making them primary beneficiaries of forfeited assets. This initiative follows a previous handover of a forfeited university, now the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia.

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President Bola Tinubu made this decision fully conscious of the fact that children and the youth are the greatest victims of corruption and financial crimes. So, it should naturally be the first beneficiaries of the proceeds of such crime.

Furthermore, recovered proceeds have bolstered the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which has assisted over 1.4 million students. Olukoyede argued that improved access to education can deter young Nigerians from engaging in cybercrime and other financial offenses, effectively reducing the pool of potential offenders.

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So, today, those who never thought of going to school now have the opportunity to go to school. Potentially, 1.4 million young people have been taken out of the dockets of those who have the potential to commit financial crimes.