Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC says, it has secured a total of 3,785 convictions in 2022.
The figure, which emerged from a review of the Commission’s performance in the outgone year, shows a 70.5% improvement over its record for 2021.
In a statement issued by the agency’s Spokesperson, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, he disclosed that the records also represent a 98.93% success rate in prosecution given that the Commission lost only 41 cases, representing 1.07% within the period.
He said, the Lagos Command of the Agency recorded the most convictions of 765, followed by the Ibadan Command with 573 convictions and the Port Harcourt Zonal Command 567, while the headquarters in Abuja recorded 314 convictions.
“The conviction secured by the Commission in 2022 is the highest by the EFCC Since inception, and sustains an upward trajectory which began shortly after the emergence of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He noted that, the improvement of the EFCC convictions in the seven years of the Buhari administration from 103 to 3785, is over 3574.8%.
Commenting on the performance, the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, commended the personnel of the Commission for their industry and dedication despite the challenges of criminal prosecution in court.
He assured them that the EFCC would continue to motivate all categories of staff for greater efficiency through capacity development and other incentives.
It would be recalled that the Buhari administration was elected in 2015 on a tripod of promises of anti-corruption, economic recovery and security.
In 2015, EFCC recorded a total of 103 convictions which rose to 195 convictions in 2016, the first full year in office of the Buhari administration.
The figure improved to 312 in 2018 and 1280 in 2019 but dropped slightly to 976 convictions in 2020, the year of covid-19, then moved up to 2220 in 2021.
PIAK
