The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said that the commission seized $153 million and 80 choice property valued at $80 million from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Bawa disclosed this on Tuesday in the April edition of the anti-graft agency’s magazine, EFCC Alert.
Alison-Madueke has been living in Britain since she left office in 2015.
“There are several cases surrounding Diezani’s case. I was part of that investigation, and we have done quite a lot. In one of the cases, we recovered $153 million; we have secured the final forfeiture of over 80 property in Nigeria valued at about $80 million. We have done quite a bit on that.
“The other cases as it relates to the $115 million INEC bribery, is also ongoing across the federation. We are looking forward to the time we will, maybe, have her in the country, and, of course, review things and see what will happen going forward. The case has certainly not been abandoned,” Bawa said.
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The EFCC boss vowed never to succumb to undue pressure in the discharge of his responsibilities, noting that he would rather leave the job.
He stated this while reacting to a question on how he would deal with cases involving highly-placed government officials.
“I am not going to pay allegiance to individuals in the government,” he stated.
Bawa explained that he had paid his dues rising through the ranks as a pioneer staff of EFCC.
The EFCC boss said, “I rose through the ranks. The only job I know after graduation is the EFCC, which I joined in 2004. I rose through the ranks from an ordinary team member, to the first EFCC team leader from the regular staff of the EFCC.
“ I became a sectional head, became the zonal head in Ibadan, zonal head in Port Harcourt, and zonal head in Lagos. Lagos is the biggest operational hub of the EFCC with over 600 personnel. Port Harcourt is next to it in terms of complexity and staff strength. I happen to be the first EFCC regular staff to head three different zones before my appointment as the chairman
“The records are there. And it is a challenge I have taken upon myself to do without fear or favour. That is the truth. If anybody is coming to ask me to do something that is contrary to my conscience or what the EFCC is set out to achieve, I’m going to resign.”