‘Nigerians will benefit from it’ — minister commends EFCC over 753-unit estate recovery

Ahmed Dangiwa, minister of housing and urban development, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its efforts in recovering 753 units of houses in the Lokogoma district of Abuja.

On Tuesday, the EFCC handed over 753 duplexes linked to Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to the ministry of housing and urban development.

The handover followed the forfeiture of the estate, described as the “largest single asset recovery” by the agency since it was set up in 2003.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Dele Oyewale, spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, said Dangiwa spoke in Abuja during an inspection of the property.

Dangiwa said the recovery was unprecedented, noting that “Nigerians will be better for it”.

The minister urged Nigerians to trust and support the EFCC in its mission to cleanse the country of economic and financial crimes.

“I have to seriously commend the stewardship of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, on this outstanding recovery,” Dangiwa was quoted as saying.

“As you can all see, this is the biggest recovery of its kind in the history of this country, with 753 housing units recovered within just about a year of his appointment.

“Many more recoveries are ongoing, and we assure Nigerians that we will see more of such results. Nigerians will be better for it.

“Nigerians should have confidence in the EFCC and the capable leadership of Mr. Olukoyede in achieving a corruption-free nation.”

Ola Olukoyede, EFCC chairman, said the visit was a follow-up to the handover of the estate to the ministry, adding that although 753 housing units were initially declared, the number might increase after remodelling and valuation.

Olukoyede noted that the recovery is a tangible result of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda to use anti-corruption tools to drive economic development in the country.

He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to managing the recovered assets transparently.

“This inspection follows our meeting with the Honourable Minister yesterday regarding the handover of this recovered property,” Olukoyede said.

“We wanted Nigerians to see firsthand the impact of the anti-corruption fight. We have walked for over an hour, yet we haven’t exhausted the estate. This shows the enormity of what has been recovered.

“The figures we gave were based on architectural drawings and preliminary assessments. After remodelling, we may discover even more units.

“But what’s most important is that this property now belongs to the federal government and will be put to good use.”