The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has slammed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over its statement defending the hidden identity of the owner of seized properties in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Henzodaily reported that the EFCC had on Monday announced the recovery of 753 duplexes and other apartments on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
Sowore, while reacting to the development, accused the EFCC of being afraid of ‘big thieves’, unlike the treatment melted at suspects, who are Yahoo boys.
In response, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, in a statement issued on Tuesday titled, ‘Sowore and Co-Travellers’ Tantrums against EFCC’s Landmark Recovery’ stated that its actions were guided by the legal framework governing forfeiture proceedings and a commitment to professionalism.
Oyewale disclosed that actionable intelligence led to investigations into the estate, stressing that a company initially flagged as the likely owner denied any links to the property after public notices were published in leading national newspapers.
He added that revealing the names of individuals without direct evidence connecting them to the property’s title documents would be premature and unprofessional.
In response, Sowore, in a social media post Wednesday, described EFCC’s statement as most reckless and irresponsible.
The activist cum politician said the EFCC came after him for daring them to name the top brass instead of doing what was necessary.
He said, “Yesterday, Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), attacked me for asking them to name the Nigerian Top Brass publicly that they claimed was involved in their biggest-ever asset recovery case. Instead of naming the culprit, they chose to attack my person for asking that this pertinent question be answered, especially considering that they don’t hesitate to ask small-time thieves to display their names and offenses on placards and engage in photoshoots at the commission’s photo studios.
“Instead of doing what was necessary, they came after me for daring to ask them to name the top brass. Here is my response to the attached documents.
“This is the most reckless and irresponsible statement I’ve read from a government agency in a long while. The assertions here are also patently irresponsible.
“I have obtained court proceedings and an affidavit sworn to by an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigator, who named the names of those behind this real estate fraud.”