The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission À(EFCC) has disclosed that it has returned the N19.3 billion naira allegedly diverted by the Kogi State Government to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The disclosure was made on Friday in a statement by the agency’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, titled “Hidden N19.3bn Kogi Salary Bail-Out Funds, Returned to CBN”.
The anti-graft agency said the transfer of the money has put an end to any controversy regarding the source and ownership and prevents it from being squandered or stolen.
Recall that EFCC and the Kogi state government have been embroiled in vicious disagreement, as a fallout of the confiscation of the bailout fund from a new generation bank where the money was said to be planned to be diverted from.
With the EFCC accusing the Kogi state government of diverting funds meant for the payment of Kogi state workers to an interest yielding account with the new generation bank.
The Kogi state government denied the allegations, demanding a public apology from the anti-graft agency.
The statement reads, “The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has acknowledged the receipt of the sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 recovered by the EFCC from the Kogi State Salary Bail-out account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc.
“This effectively puts to rest the campaign of misinformation and unconscionable denials by the Kogi state government that no fund was recovered from its bailout account.
“The apex bank in a letter referenced, DFD/DIR/CON/EXT/01/099 and dated 9th November, 2021 informed the Executive Chairman, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, that it has received the money.
“The letter reads in part: “We refer to your letter dated November 5, 2021, with Ref. No: CR:3000/EFCC/LS/CMU/REC-STE/VOL.4/047 on the above subject and wish to confirm the details of the receipt of the amount as stated below: Bank: Sterling Bank Plc; Amount: N19, 333, 333,333.36; Date of receipt: 04 November, 2021.
“The return of the money to the apex bank is in compliance with the October 15, 2021 Order of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, directing the unfreezing of the Kogi State Salary Bail-out account to enable Sterling Bank to remit the balance in the account to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke gave the Order pursuant to an application filed by the EFCC.
“The Commission had told the court that the management of Sterling Bank Plc, where the account was domiciled had acknowledged the existence of the said account with the staggering sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 in its books.
The Commission further brought to the attention of the court that “The sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 is still standing in the credit of the account frozen”, adding that “the management of Sterling Bank PIc, has, pursuant to a letter dated 15 September 2021, signed by its Managing Director, indicated intention to return the total sum of N19, 333,333,333.36 back to the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
The EFCC prayed the court that it “is expedient for the instant suit to be discontinued and the account unfrozen to enable the management of Sterling Bank PIc to effect the transfer/return of the sum of the sum of N19, 333, 333, 333.36 back to the coffer of the Central Bank of Nigeria, where the said bailout funds was disbursed.”
The transfer has put paid to any further controversy regarding source and ownership of the funds and most importantly, aborted the funds dissipation.
On August 31, 2021, Justice Tijani Garba Ringim, a vacation Judge, had ordered the freezing of the account, following an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC.
The EFCC, in a 13-paragraph affidavit in support of the ex-parte application, had stated that it received a credible and direct intelligence, which led to the tracing of the funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities in account No. 0073572696 domiciled in Sterling Bank, Plc with the name Kogi State Salary Bailout Account.
After listening to the EFCC application, Justice Ringim on August 31, 2021, ordered the freezing of the account and directed the publication of the order in a national newspaper by the EFCC.
The money meant for payment of salary of workers in the state was “hidden” by the Kogi state government in the bank, even when the workers were still being owed several months of unpaid salary.
The unconscionable attitude of the state government is replete in several other states in the country which is why welfare of workers is given least consideration by political leaders who leave office extremely wealthy by stealing legitimate earnings of workers and diverting money appropriated for capital development.
