OYOGist.com has learned that the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has reportedly said that some of the vehicles recovered by the EFCC were auctioned off to the Presidential Villa, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, as well as federal tax offices and other agencies.
He went on to say that some of those authorities had not paid for the vehicles, but that it had been agreed that the money would be deducted from their financial allocation.
Magu wrote in a letter to the judicial panel headed by Ayo Salami entitled “Re: Alleged case of conspiracy, enrichment, abuse of authority and other violations”, Magu explained how some of the recovered vehicles were auctioned off.
The letter was in response to an earlier report by the Presidential Committee to review the recovered assets, which accused Magu of not being able to explain the interest on the N550 billion recovered and the recovered vehicles and houses.
In his response to the allegations of failure to account for the recovered vehicles, Magu said: “On the allocation of vehicles to some government agencies through a special auction with the approval of the President. The beneficiary authorities are: the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, whose estimated price will be deducted from their allocation; the Chamber of Deputies; the National Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons; the Federal Treasury; and the National Directorate of Employment.
The EFCC chairman, who has been suspended, said about 450 more vehicles that have been rescued are yet to be sold, although the president has received permission to do so.
“The committee currently has the President’s permission to dispose of more than 450 confiscated vehicles in Lagos and Abuja. The vehicles were assessed by the National Council for the Evaluation of Automobiles and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Housing. But so far no sale/disposal has taken place,” Magu said.
He said some of the houses that were permanently lost to looters for the federal government have also been handed over to some government agencies such as the Voice of Nigeria, the Northeast Development Commission and the Directorate of Transitional Pension Arrangements.
The suspended EFCC chief said some other properties, which had been confiscated pending the outcome of court cases, were leased by the federal ministry of finance, the Nigerian army and other government agencies.
The letter said: “The real estate that was eventually confiscated from the Nigerian federal government and assigned to some authorities for official use as authorized by the President: Voice of Nigeria, National Directorate of Employment, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Northeast Development Commission and Directorate of the Transitional Pension Agreement.
“Assets subject to a preliminary forfeiture order are leased to the following government agencies: Armed Forces of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Nigeria Diaspora Commission and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
“Other government agencies that have approached the Commission to rent properties for which a forfeiture order has been made are the National Human Rights Commission and the National Council for Arts and Culture”.
Magu said the commission also temporarily transferred properties in Lagos to the Lagos state government to be used as isolation centers for COVID-19 patients.
The suspended EFCC chief attached photos of some of the recovered property to his letter to the panel. However, an attempt by Magus’ lawyer, Wahab Shittu, to present the letter to the panel on Monday was reportedly rejected.
