The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has recorded 48 convictions and recovered N8.5 billion in cash and assets within one year in Ilorin zone.
The Zonal Head of EFCC, Mr Isyaku Sharu, disclosed this during the Youths Walk Against Corruption, organised by the Commission in Ilorin on Friday.
The event has its slogan as: “Build the Youth, Build the Nation, Destroy the Youth, Destroy the Nation”.
“You would recall what the state Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said during the last International Anti-corruption Day, where he commended EFCC for assisting the state to recover N4.8 billion
“Tax refund at the eve of last handing/taking over, and that he would use it to fund part of 2020 budget.
“It is on record that we also handed over N111 million to the Governor and we presently have about N200 million for the state government, ready for collection.
“We are also on top of the case of light up Kwara, where over N3 billion was allegedly diverted and part of the diverted fund was to buy a property in Guzape, Abuja,” Sharu said.
The zonal head said that it was a great desire to build the youth who would fight corruption from the perspectives of alien, abhorrent and detestable to the culture.
“Corruption has eaten deep into every fabric of the society, manifesting itself from various forms and types, such as bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, cronyism, cyber-crime and money laundering.
“Its effect is being felt in various ways, like unemployment, institutional decay, infrastructural decay, poor health facility, poor education and insecurity,” he said.
Sharu said that the current administration under President Muhammadu Buhari had done a lot in its support to the fight against corruption.
“The commission under the leadership of Acting Executive Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, is at the forefront in this fight.
“This is evident from the overwhelming successes achieved by the commission with the number of convictions and recovery of assets worth trillions of naira.
“We still believe that some criminal elements who nearly bring down the country to its knees are still roaming the street,” he said.
The zonal head, therefore, urged the public to key into the Federal Government whistleblowing policy in order to expose the guilty ones.
“Some of the advantages of whistleblowing are to help the government in getting rid of corruption, and the blower will enjoy the stipends being promised,” he said.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, also urged the corps members and Nigerian youths to support the fight against corruption, especially internet fraud, which he said was common among youths.
“As Corp members, your aim is to gain employment after youth service, and some that are unable to gain employment in civil service will want to get other opportunities in entrepreneur aspect.
“What is creating a labour market in Nigeria is corruption, from the university to the NYSC level and down to the youth labour market, the major problem is corruption.
“We need maximum support from Nigerian youths to be able to solve the disease of corruption, ’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Ilorin Zonal Office of EFCC is also celebrating its one-year anniversary.
Representatives of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Police Force and Gov. AbdulRazaq also participated in the walk.