An activist, Wole Oladapo, on Wednesday, expressed his distress over the challenges faced by Nigerians in accessing money recovered for them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Oladapo, the convener of Nigerians for Good Governance, wrote an open letter to the EFCC chairman in which he commended the anti-corruption agency for its diligent and professional support provided to Nigerians who have been defrauded.
However, he pointed out the difficulty faced by people in receiving bank drafts for the recovered sums, attributing it to the 'organizational bureaucracy' of the EFCC since December 2023.
He noted that many of the fraud victims whose money was recovered were already distressed and that the delay in releasing the money was diminishing their hopes following the recovery.
He stated, “It is important to acknowledge the organization for the diligent and professional assistance provided to Nigerians who have fallen victim to fraud across various zones covered by your organization.
“However, it has become challenging for financially disadvantaged Nigerians, whose money has been recovered, to obtain the bank drafts of their recovered funds due to observed organizational bureaucracy since December 2023.
“Let me categorically state that some of the people whose funds are held up are already distressed Nigerians, who initially felt hopeful about the recoveries but have since been disappointed by the delay in receiving them.
“This situation somewhat casts a negative shadow on the commendable work done by the organization. I therefore urge you to authorize the immediate release of bank drafts for recoveries made across the zones, as some of these drafts will soon expire, leading the organization to re-arrest the fraudsters to revalidate them. This would impose additional stress on the organization's resources, which are already stretched due to the substantial amount of work regularly awaiting the personnel.”
