Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) have called for greater transparency and public accountability in the management of assets recovered from corruption.
HURIWA stated that the success of Nigeria’s anti-graft campaign should be measured not only by court-ordered forfeitures but also by how the recovered wealth benefits ordinary Nigerians.
It made the call on Sunday, commending the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for securing a series of landmark court victories that led to the permanent forfeiture of billions of naira in assets linked to unlawful activities.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the association said recent judicial decisions involving the forfeiture of over N4.6 billion worth of jewellery, N4.293 billion in luxury vehicles, cash recovered from businesswoman Aisha Achimugu; the Supreme Court’s restoration of the forfeiture of assets linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the forfeiture of 52 luxury housing units in Lagos, and other recoveries had reinforced public confidence in the judiciary’s role in the fight against corruption.
HEDA, on its part, described the judgment as a significant boost to Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.
HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, commended the anti-graft agency for pursuing the case to its logical conclusion and lauded the judiciary for upholding the rule of law.
According to Suraju, the judgment demonstrates that anti-corruption institutions can achieve meaningful outcomes, whether with private or public persons, when investigations and prosecutions are conducted professionally and without undue interference.
