The Director of Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren, has identified poverty reduction, the fight against cybercrime and a change in societal attitudes as critical to tackling the persistent problem of corruption in Nigeria.

In an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Uwujaren said corruption is a deep-seated problem that requires a holistic, whole-of-society approach, combining enforcement with interventions that address poverty, cybercrime and public attitudes.

“We have been very effective in terms of investigation, prosecution of corruption cases, and asset recovery. But that alone is not sufficient to erase corruption completely. It needs a holistic solution and a whole-of-society approach. Because whether you like it or not, the EFCC or ICPC cannot eliminate corruption overnight.

“We have to approach it from all angles—both enforcement and intervention—and also speak to all Nigerians to see how we can change their attitudes. For those who are vulnerable, the government is doing a lot in terms of addressing the issue of poverty within society. If we are able to do that and address the issue of cybercrime, especially among the youth, we will get somewhere,” he said.

Speaking on the reported recoveries of about ₦1.3 trillion by the EFCC, Uwujaren attributed the figures to institutional and procedural reforms introduced by the Commission’s current leadership to improve professionalism, case management and operational efficiency.

“I think what you are seeing in terms of the numbers is the result of the reforms introduced by the current Chairman of EFCC when he came on board. Institutional reforms, procedural reforms, processes. In the last three years or so, he has introduced a number of policies that actually changed our attitude to work in terms of professionalism, in terms of trying to improve turnarounds in terms of case management.”

On the reported recovery of ₦1.23 trillion and $684 million in 34 months, Uwujaren clarified that the funds do not all sit in Federal Government coffers, explaining that the EFCC categorises recoveries into direct and indirect recoveries. Uwujaren stressed that the disbursements are verifiable and maintained that the EFCC does not retain any portion of recovered funds.

“In terms of the asset recovery figures you mentioned, the Chairman explained that the 1.23 trillion talked about is not something you will find sitting in the Federal Government account. There are two categories of recovery made by the Commission: direct recovery and indirect recovery. Direct recoveries are made by the Commission for the Federal Government. Indirect recoveries are made for individuals, corporate entities, and others. Once we get those monies, they are paid back to the victims of crimes. You are not likely to find indirect recovery in the coffers of the Federal Government. What is paid to the Federal Government is available for development projects and other interventions.

“They are absolutely verifiable. We apply the provisions of the law to determine what happens to the proceeds. The fact is that the EFCC does not retain a kobo of what is recovered.”

On reports of staff members being suspended or dismissed, the EFCC publicity director clarified that disciplinary action within the Commission is not limited to cases of financial fraud. He explained officers who violate the EFCC’s standard operating procedures can face internal disciplinary proceedings, with dismissal possible where recommended, stressing that such action does not necessarily mean the affected personnel committed financial crimes.

“That comment was just an off-the-record comment that the Chairman made, stating he does not take issues of accountability lightly. Even within the Commission, those who run foul of our laws are subjected to the same rules that apply to people outside of the Commission. I think there is a misconception in the reportage. Those who are being either prosecuted or dismissed are not just people who committed financial fraud. If the recommendation is for you to be dismissed, you can be dismissed. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you committed financial fraud.”

Commenting on the EFCC’s conviction figures, Uwujaren said the cases cut across nine major crime typologies, including advance fee fraud, cybercrime, economic governance fraud, tax fraud and money laundering.

He, however, urged the public to look beyond “Yahoo Yahoo”, warning of a rising incidence of grand corruption, money laundering and virtual asset fraud, including the use of cryptocurrencies to launder proceeds of corruption by politically exposed persons.

“The data cuts across nine major typologies of crime. Advance fee fraud and cybercrime are among them, but we also have economic governance fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, and so on. I must mention that there is a preponderance of cybercrime among the cases the EFCC investigates, but I don’t want members of the public to run away with the impression that most of what we deal with is simply cybercrime.

“If you look at the trend analysis the Chairman gave yesterday, there is a rising incidence of cases involving grand corruption, money laundering, and virtual asset fraud (cryptocurrency fraud). Those are the new issues emerging, and I want people to focus on those, not just on Yahoo Yahoo. When people talk about Yahoo Yahoo, they think it’s just minor offenses, but that’s not true. There are a lot of institutions dealing with cybercrime issues,” he said.

Addressing concerns that the high volume of cybercrime cases suggests the EFCC is focusing less on sophisticated corruption, Uwujaren said the perception was misleading, explaining that cybercrime cases are more numerous and have a faster prosecution turnaround than grand corruption and money laundering cases, which often take years to conclude.

“What creates this impression is the volume of cases we get from cybercrime. You can’t compare it to grand corruption cases, for instance. The turnaround time for prosecution of cybercrime cases is quite faster than money laundering or grand corruption cases. Once you are in court on those matters, it takes years for those cases to be determined.”

On the prolonged nature of high-profile corruption cases before the courts, Uwujaren blamed delays largely on defendants exploiting gaps in the judicial process to prolong proceedings. He explained that objections and appeals can stretch trials for years, while the transfer of judges or witnesses can further complicate cases by requiring proceedings to start afresh or making it difficult to recall witnesses.

“It’s not a problem of evidence or the competence of the EFCC. What usually happens is that most of those who are in court in relation to those crimes have the resources to stretch the judicial process. The way our judiciary is structured, once you raise an objection in a case, you are entitled to be heard. Sometimes they capitalize on these gaps to drag the matter. When cases drag too long, a number of things happen. Judges can be transferred, and when judges are transferred, you ask for the trial to commence de novo all over again. Sometimes witnesses who gave evidence might be transferred to another location, making it difficult to recall them. These are the challenges.”

Addressing allegations of political interference in EFCC investigations, Uwujaren maintained that the Commission remains non-political, saying it investigates violations of the law regardless of party affiliation.

He, however, described the President’s directive to halt the Osun State investigation as an “extraordinary circumstance”, stressing that the Commission is obligated to comply with presidential directives.

“There can be a delay in terms of the investigation of matters. Sometimes investigation takes time if you want to do a thorough job. We are not political in any way. What concerns the Commission when we handle matters is whether there are violations of the law. If you are in violation of the law and we have the responsibility to investigate, whether you are in Party A or Party B, we don’t look at that; we do our investigation.

“I think that is an extraordinary circumstance. In my more than 20 years in the EFCC, that’s the first time we’ve had that kind of situation. But that does not suggest that the EFCC is not an independent organization. The President is the Commander-in-Chief; he is the ultimate authority in the country. So if he intervenes… the EFCC belongs to the executive branch, so if the head of the executive branch gives a directive, you may not be comfortable with it, but you have an obligation to comply. Once directives come, it’s not for us to start interrogating; we just obey the directive.”

Uwujaren said the EFCC’s recent record of over 10,000 convictions in less than three years should reassure Nigerians that ongoing reforms will help bring such cases to conclusion sooner rather than later.

“If there is any anxiety in delays of high-profile cases, the data released yesterday should give the public confidence that some of those cases will be brought to conclusion sooner rather than later. If we were able to conclude over 10,000 convictions in less than three years, that should give an idea that with the reforms taking place within the EFCC, those cases will be determined sooner rather than later,” he assured.

Defending the EFCC’s asset disposal process, Uwujaren said the Commission is guided by the Proceeds of Crime Management Act and has a dedicated department overseeing the process. He added that its last disposal was conducted online and publicly to ensure transparency.

“The laws are clear on that. The provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Management Act give us direction on what to do. We have a very strong Proceeds of Crime Management Department that takes charge of asset disposal, and we have never run foul of the law. The last disposal executed by the Commission was done online, and it was very transparent and done publicly.”

Highlighting the EFCC’s shift towards the prevention of financial crimes across Nigeria, Uwujaren said the Commission’s Fraud Assessment and Control Department had helped prevent the loss of over 4 billion naira by identifying and blocking potential theft before funds were moved. He said the approach also led to contractors being compelled to return to project sites and execute abandoned contracts.

“The new dimension he has brought into the fight against corruption within the EFCC is creating a department called FRAX (Fraud Assessment and Control). It’s a department that focuses on prevention, trying to stop the stealing before people actually move resources. Through the work of that department, we have been able to save over four-something billion that would have been stolen. As a result of their intervention, some contractors who got contracts and didn’t execute them have been asked to go back to sites as a result of the proactive initiative of that agency.

“We are not just looking at running after people after they have stolen money, but trying to stop the theft of funds.”

Commenting on Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, which flags countries with strategic weaknesses in their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing systems, Uwujaren said the EFCC played a significant role in strengthening enforcement of money laundering laws, particularly through its activities targeting money laundering and abuses in the Bureau de Change sector.

“It was very significant. There was no other agency that Nigeria could fall back on to activate this process to convince the international community that we are serious about enforcing money laundering laws other than the EFCC. Our enforcement activities, especially in looking at money laundering and issues in the BDC sector, for instance, helped a lot in changing their decision.” (Arise News)