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Nigerians on social media have expressed outrage and disbelief after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced the confiscation of 753 duplexes in Abuja without revealing the name of the former government official linked to the massive forfeiture.
AFRIPOST had reported that the estate, spanning 150,500 square meters on Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, is the single largest asset recovery by the EFCC since its establishment in 2003.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, delivered the ruling on the final forfeiture on Monday, December 2, 2024.
The ruling solidifies the EFCC’s authority to seize the sprawling estate. However, the agency’s refusal to name the individual behind the corruption has ignited a firestorm of criticism online.
“Shielding the Guilty?”
Many Nigerians took to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to accuse the EFCC of shielding the identity of the perpetrator. One user, @ChuksJustice, wrote, “How can you recover an entire estate, the largest in EFCC’s history, and not name the culprit? This is selective justice!”
Another user, @NaijaObserver, echoed similar sentiments, tweeting, “We deserve to know who betrayed public trust on such a massive scale. This silence only fuels speculation and distrust in the fight against corruption.”
@Ogbenidipo wrote, “Full disclosure is needed to build trust. You should include the name of the individual.”
@AbiolaAdebidi7 tweeted, “A single person stole this amount of money and all you do is to keep the identity of the thief. A theft of this magnitude should carry the death penalty not shielding the culprit from being known by the public.”
“You used almost one sheet to glorify yourselves rather than to denounce crime. Oh, I did so well in negotiating with a thief and I recovered a lot of assets. The question is, who is that thief? Say his/her name so that he/she can be shamed, and we hope the case is going to result in a jail term. Had it been Meffy, you would have said his name immediately. Stop protecting thieves”, @Iyaboawokoya wrote.
Calls for transparency
Activists and social commentators and political figures have also joined the chorus of disapproval, calling for greater transparency.
Political analyst Dr Kemi Banjo tweeted, “The EFCC cannot claim to be fighting corruption and simultaneously protect the identity of offenders. Nigerians need full disclosure to restore faith in the system.”
Several others questioned whether the anonymous approach was politically motivated, with some alleging that the official could be a high-ranking individual still wielding influence.
Omoyele Sowore, pioneer of RevolutionNow wrote, “What is the name of the “former top brass” with 753 duplexes seized by the EFCC in Abuja?
“The @officialEFCC is now doing PR for thieves. They seized this large estate with 753 duplexes from a single individual in Abuja but can’t mention his or her name.
“If it is Yahoo boys, they will line laptops and Nokia phones in front of them and send their photos globally even before their trial is commenced. The same EFCC is now AFRAID of BIG Thieves! #RevolutionNow.”
Senator Shehu Sani joined the conversation, he tweeted, “753 duplexes?
At that time when ASUU went on strike and students were kept at home for months because “there is no money to pay the lecturers”
It’s unfortunate. That is how the country was mismanaged.”
Historic recovery overshadowed
While the EFCC highlighted the scale of the recovery as a milestone in its anti-corruption crusade, the lack of transparency overshadowed the achievement.
The confiscated estate includes duplexes and other apartments located in the rapidly developing Lokogoma District of Abuja.
Real estate experts estimate the value of the estate to be in the hundreds of billions of naira.
An official EFCC statement read, “This recovery demonstrates our commitment to retrieving assets acquired through illicit means and returning them to the state for public benefit.”
However, the omission of the suspect’s name has undermined the public’s trust in the agency’s intentions.
Meanwhile, as public outrage intensifies and pressure mounts, the EFCC face growing demands to provide clarity on the identity of the individual responsible.
The lack of information has sparked debates about the broader issues of accountability and the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria.
As public anger swells, the spotlight remains firmly on the EFCC to justify its actions and prove its commitment to justice without fear or favour.