Hundreds of potential buyers today besieged the offices of Abuja, Benin, Kano, Ibadan and Port Harcourt Zonal Commands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where pictures of forfeited assets for auction were displayed for sighting by members of the public.
The commission disclosed this in a statement obtained by The Herald.
This newspaper recalls that the ongoing sale of the forfeited assets began on December 6, 2022 at the Lagos Command of the agency and continued today December 12, 2022 with more Zonal Commands participating in the exercise.
“In Abuja, as early as 8am, hundreds of people had gathered in front of Car Park ‘A’ gate of the 5 Fomella Street, Wuse 2, Office of the Commission, to view slots of 35 items available for auction a.
“At exactly 9am, the gates were opened, while auctioneers were on hand to answer questions and explain the process of the auction to the public.
“In Benin, where 20 forfeited cars are up for grab, hundreds of potential buyers thronged the premises of Paragon Demonstration School, Limit Road, Benin City to inspect the pictures of cars displayed for auction,” the statement read in part.
According to ACE1 Ola Tochi Oji, member of the EFCC Asset Disposal Committee, “Today is for inspection of the cars, tomorrow, December 13, is for competitive bidding and auction. The highest bidder wins and pays directly to the Federal Government account.”
James Enedo, representative of Richmate 480, a Federal Government approved auctioneer, says the process will be transparent and the winners were expected to pay within 48 hours to the Federal Government’s account.
The agency said that the inspection of the 45 vehicles slated for auction in Port Harcourt, took place at premises of the Police Officers Wife Association, POWA, opposite EFCC’s Port Harcourt Zonal Command, 6A Olumeni Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
Speaking during the event, Commander of the EFCC, CE Osita Nwajah, a member of Asset Disposal Committee, said the EFCC gave the exercise wide publicity to ensure full participation by citizens.
“We gave this exercise a very wide publicity because we want total Nigerian participation. There is no hanky-panky, there is no underhand tactics. Everything that is done here is open and transparent, we want to be accountable to the Nigerian people.
“This is your money that some people have cornered, but justice has caught up with them, it has been recovered, the court has forfeited these assets to the Federal Government.
“The government is saying let’s send it back to the Nigerian people at a very small fee and of course those proceeds are sent back to the government to do what we expect them to do with the money. Roads and other infrastructures, education, water”, he said.
The agency stated that nine vessels/ barges would also be auctioned in Port Harcourt.
“Over 430 vehicles, vessels/barges, computers and electronic devices are to be auctioned by the Commission in line with relevant provisions of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, and Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022,” the statement further read.