The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over a bank draft valued at ₦1,054,919,532.61 One Billion, FFifty-FourMillion, Nine Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira, Sixty-One Kobo) to 659 Batch D1 disengaged staff of the Adamawa State Post-Primary Schools Management Board, representing funds recovered in the course of an investigation.
Speaking at the brief handover ceremony, the Acting Zonal Director of the Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Austine Adache, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to accountability, justice, and the restitution of recovered funds to their rightful beneficiaries. He emphasised that the EFCC remained committed to ensuring that victims of financial misconduct receive appropriate redress in accordance with the law.
Leading the beneficiaries, their counsel, Luka Musa Haruna, SAN, who received the bank draft on their behalf, expressed profound appreciation to the Commission for its painstaking investigation and commitment to securing the recovery. He stated that he had consistently maintained confidence in the EFCC’s capacity to combat economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.
Similarly, Abraham B. Song, the petitioner whose complaint initiated the investigation, commended the Commission for its prompt intervention. He noted that the recovered funds would significantly alleviate the financial losses and hardship suffered by the affected staff.
The recovery followed a petition submitted to the EFCC in 2024 by Song, who alleged that the beneficiaries were employed by the Adamawa State Government in 2012 and served for 29 months in various secondary schools across the state.
According to the petitioner, their appointments were declared illegal by the state government in 2014, following which the affected staff instituted proceedings before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Yola Judicial Division, sitting in Jos. The court subsequently ordered the Adamawa State Government to pay their outstanding entitlements.
However, the alleged failure to comply with the court’s order resulted in garnishee proceedings against the state government’s accounts.
In the course of its investigation, the EFCC reportedly received intelligence indicating a potential risk of suspicious misapplication of the funds. The Commission consequently took steps to preserve the funds pending the outcome of its investigation, ultimately facilitating their recovery and restitution to the beneficiaries.
The recovery and subsequent handover underscore the EFCC’s commitment to protecting the interests of victims of financial wrongdoing and ensuring that recovered proceeds are returned to their rightful owners.
The handover marks a significant milestone for the affected staff, who have pursued the payment of their entitlements for years, and demonstrates the importance of effective investigation and inter-agency engagement in the recovery and restitution of funds.
