EFCC Secures 3,785 Convictions In 2022
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it secured 3,785 convictions across the country in 2022.
The commission said this in a statement by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the 2022 result is a 70.5 per cent improvement in the performance of the commission over its record for 2021………………..CONTINUE READING
The EFCC also said the statistics also showed a 98.93 per cent success record in cases prosecuted. It said it only lost 41 cases throughout the year, which it said represented 1.07 per cent of all its cases.
As of mid-December, the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, had said the records at his disposal as of then showed the commission had recorded a total of 3,615 convictions in 2022.
The EFCC boss noted that cybercrimes cases accounted for half of all convictions achieved by the EFCC in the year.
Highlighting his agency’s other accomplishments from January to December 2022, Mr Bawa said the commission made recoveries that included N134,33,759,574.25; $121,769,076.30; £21,020; €156,925; ¥21,350; and CFA300,000.
Commands with most convictions
According to EFCC’s 2022 report, Lagos Command recorded the most convictions – 765. The figure is closely followed by the Ibadan Command with 573 convictions and the Port Harcourt Zonal Command with 567, while the headquarters in Abuja recorded 314 convictions.
“The conviction secured by the commission in 2022 is the highest by the EFCC since its inception and sustains an upward trajectory which began shortly after the emergence of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,” the EFCC said in the statement.
In 2015, EFCC recorded a total of 103 convictions, according to the EFCC. In 2016, the first full year of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, 195 convictions were recorded. The number increased to 312 in 2018, and 1280 in 2019.
The figure, however, decreased significantly to 976 convictions in 2020—the year of COVID-19, and then increased to 2220 in 2021.
The commission said since 2015, the EFCC’s conviction rate increased by approximately 3,574.8 per cent, going from 103 to 3,785.
Commenting on the performance, Mr Bawa commended the personnel of the commission for their industry and dedication, despite the challenges of criminal prosecution in court.
He also assured that the EFCC would continue to motivate all categories of staff for greater efficiency through capacity development and other incentives.
