Lucky Obukohwo ReportingÂ
The Chairman Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa, said a total of 3,785 persons were convicted for financial crimes in 2022 just as he said its conviction rate is already rising in the first quarter of the year, 2023.
The EFCC boss, represented by the Benin Zonal Commander, Kanu Idagu, said this at a one-day workshop on Economic and Financial Crimes Reporting for Journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
“Conviction figures are already rising in 2023 across the various commands of the Commission.
” This is significant, not only for the Commission but also for the entire nation, as conviction figures are proofs of the effectiveness of the war against graft”
He said the commission has secured the conviction of 3,785 persons for financial crime in 2022 and that the rate of conviction is already increasing in 2023.
“EFCC has secured 3,785 convictions in 2022, which is 70.5 improvement over its record for 2021 when 2,220 were convicted.
He said the commission has recorded 98.93 percent success rate in prosecution, stressing that the commission lost only 41 cases, representing 1.07 percent within the period.
He charged the media to give more attention to the activities of all Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, DNFBPs, adding that the sector is under-reported.
According to him, EFCC remains committed to its mandate of tackling all forms of economic and financial crimes across the country.
He tasked journalists as important allies in the anti-graft war, to be more involved in the area of investigative reporting, that would leads the commission into uncharted areas where economic and financial crimes may be taking place.
“if we devote more coverage to financial crimes and financial Institutions operators in the sector, and the general public, will be better informed about their obligations to regulatory authorities and by so doing, refrain from any infraction or compromise of extant laws”, Bawa said.