FELIX OLOKEDE FROM THE STREET JOURNAL
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently investigating 14 former governors over alleged fraud.
Eight former ministers, special advisers and five senators, were also involved in alleged fraud involving N21.63 trillion and $47.4 billion over the past 15 years.
Meanwhile, seventy-three other suspects are been investigated by the anti-graft agency.
According to a report, men were allegedly involved in N7.9 trillion and $17. 8 billion fraud, while women were linked to N8.9 trillion and $20 billion, while N4.2 billion and $9.6 billion fraud was linked to corporate bodies.
The alleged fraud (N21.63 trillion) is almost equal to the 2023 national budget of N21.83 trillion and the Ways and Means debt of N22.7 trillion the federal government is owing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
A former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and a member of the board of a non-governmental organization that pushes for the establishment of a permanent International Anti-Corruption Court, Justice Richard Goldstone (retd), while reacting to the report, said that it is important that the trials of those charged should be pursued with vigour and efficiency.
The 77-page document released by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, popularly known as HEDA Resource Centre, also showed that out of the 100 cases considered, EFCC handled 79, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) handled 13 cases, while SPIPRPP and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) handled one each.
The years of documentation are between 2007 and 2022.
The document is entitled ‘A Compendium of 100 High Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria’ and is dated November 22, 2022.
It is supported by MacArthur Foundation and is in the 6th edition.
On the status of the cases, the largest number of cases (61), are said to be ongoing as of November 22, 2022, while 10 cases are pending, two dismissed, 11 sentenced, and two cases are stalled.
There were also 12 convicted cases out of which some were later discharged by higher courts.
One case is still being investigated.
On the cases that are either ongoing or pending, the document showed that those involving all 14 former governors are ongoing while nine are pending.
Also, 16 other government officials have their cases ongoing while 10 are pending.
On the amounts involved, the report indicated that 88 of the cases are below N100 billion each while four are between N100 billion and N200 billion each.
The report also noted a significant difference in the distribution of charges.
Most of the former governors are facing charges of fraud, money laundering and misappropriation of funds, according to The Vanguard.
There was also a significant difference in the amounts involved.
