The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has pledged to review complaints related to its recent public auction of forfeited vehicles after reports of unsatisfactory experiences by some participants.

The commission acknowledged complaints ranging from issues with website accessibility, participants being shut out after submitting bids, and reports of inflated bid prices.

In addressing the situation, EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Thursday, said, ?The complaints arising from the exercise are unfortunate. The online auction platform was intended to ensure seamless and transparent participation, but challenges such as over four million participants and unstable internet services affected the process.?

He noted that the commission had monitored the exercise, which took place between January 20 and 27, 2025, and confirmed that some glitches occurred.

Oyewale added that issues were communicated to the accredited auctioneers overseeing the process for corrective action.

?The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission notes with concern the reported unsavoury experiences of some Nigerians who participated in the just concluded public auction of forfeited vehicles conducted by accredited auctioneers on behalf of the commission.

?Among the complaints received by the commission were the inability of some citizens to access the websites of the auctioneers, being shut out from the platforms after submitting bids and outrageous bid prices, among others,? he said.

The EFCC clarified that while it was involved in monitoring, it could not directly intervene in the auction due to its assignment to licensed auctioneers in compliance with ?Sections 4(a)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime ( Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 and Section 55 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.?

The commission assured the public that it is awaiting a report from the auctioneers and will review legitimate complaints to ensure fairness.

He stated, ?Without making excuses for the auctioneers, it is possible that the sheer number of participants in the exercise (over four million) perhaps stretched the carrying capacity of the online facilities of the auctioneers, while unstable internet service in parts of the country exacerbated the challenge.

?The commission is currently awaiting the report of the auctioneers and assures that genuine complaints by members of the public will be reviewed to ensure that no one Is short-changed in the exercise.?

He said, ?Successful bidders who did not experience issues will receive their vehicles as scheduled.

?The commission?s only interest in the public auction is to ensure that the assets are disposed of in the most transparent manner and the nation gets value for the assets. This cannot be compromised under any circumstance.?

The auction was organised by accredited auctioneers on behalf of the EFCC as part of efforts to dispose of assets recovered in investigations into corruption, money laundering and cybercrime.

However, the exercise was marred by complaints from several bidders, who took to social media to express dissatisfaction with the process.

Issues included being locked out of the auction websites after submitting bids, experiencing glitches during the auction, and reports of outrageously high bids that left many questioning the fairness of the exercise. (The PUNCH)

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