The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has defended its decision to withhold the identity of the owner of a recently recovered estate, which it described as the largest single asset recovery in its history.

On Monday, the EFCC announced the recovery of 753 duplexes and other apartments located on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.

However, the commission faced criticism from many Nigerians for not disclosing the identity of the asset’s owner.

One of the critics, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, accused the EFCC of being afraid of confronting “big thieves.”

In response, the EFCC issued a statement on Tuesday through its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, defending its actions as being in line with the legal framework governing forfeiture proceedings and a commitment to professionalism.

Oyewale clarified that the forfeiture of the estate followed civil proceedings under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act. This legal provision allows for action-in-rem—a process that targets property rather than individuals, especially in cases involving unclaimed assets.

He stated, “The allegation of a cover-up of the identity of the promoters of the Estate stands logic on the head in the sense that the proceedings for the forfeiture of the Estate were in line with Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, which is a civil proceeding that allows for action-in-rem rather than action-in-personam.

“The latter allows legal actions against a property and not an individual, especially in a situation of an unclaimed property. This Act allows you to take up a forfeiture proceeding against a chattel who is not a juristic person. This is exactly what the Commission did in respect of the Estate. Individual in situations of unclaimed assets.”

Oyewale further explained that actionable intelligence led to investigations into the estate. During this process, he said a company initially flagged as the likely owner denied any connection to the property after public notices were published in leading national newspapers.

“On the basis of this, the commission approached the court for an order of final forfeiture, which Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court granted on Monday, December 2, 2024,” he added.

Despite securing the court order, Oyewale emphasized that the criminal investigation into the matter remains ongoing. He stated that revealing the names of individuals without direct evidence linking them to the property’s title documents would be premature and unprofessional.

“The substantive criminal investigation on the matter continues. It will be unprofessional of the EFCC to go to town by mentioning names of individuals whose identities were not directly linked to any title document of the properties,” Oyewale stated.

The commission reaffirmed its commitment to impartiality and its “no sacred cow” policy, assuring the public that it remains steadfast in its mission to combat corruption.

“We are unwavering in our approach to every matter, and together we will make Nigeria greater,” he concluded.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has pledged to implement the findings of the State Commission of Inquiry into the destruction of local government secretariats, regardless of who is involved.

Governor Fubara made this commitment during the presentation of the commission’s report by its Chairman, Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri, a serving Judge of the State High Court, at the Executive Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.

The governor emphasized the need to end what he called “unreasonable violence in politics,” asserting that politics should be a contest of ideas, not synonymous with violence, and should not involve permanent enemies or allies.

He praised the commission for their perseverance in completing the task despite various attempts to derail their work, including legal challenges and other forms of obstruction.

Governor Fubara questioned why anyone would oppose a commission dedicated to uncovering the truth and expressed disbelief that those who had invested in building council complexes would later destroy their own legacies.

He referenced past events and connected those responsible for the recent attacks on council buildings to previous acts of violence, including the bombing of courts before the 2015 elections.

Reaffirming his commitment to accountability, the governor stated that no one, including himself, is above the law.

The Chairman of the seven-member commission, Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri, outlined the methodology used to compile the report.

She explained that visits to affected local government areas—Khana, Eleme, Ikwerre, Emohua, and Obio/Akpor—were crucial in verifying claims from the submitted memoranda.

According to Justice Minakiri, the commission’s proceedings uncovered hidden facts about the state and concluded on November 28, within the 30-day period assigned by the Governor.

The report, presented in four volumes, includes memoranda, exhibits, records of proceedings, and findings.

Justice Minakiri urged Governor Fubara to implement the recommendations to ensure long-lasting peace in the state.

She added that some individuals indicted in the memoranda had failed to appear before the commission to defend themselves.

In closing, she expressed hope that the report’s implementation would serve as a deterrent to future violence and help restore stability across Rivers State.

The Osun State Fire Service on Monday announced that it had begun an investigation into the fire incident that claimed the lives of a Customs officer attached to the Oyo/Osun Command, Tijani Kabiru, his wife, and four children in their house in Ede.

The tragic incident, which occurred in the Akankan Area of Ede during the early hours of Monday, immediately plunged the community into mourning and sparked panic among residents, who woke up to the news of the victims’ deaths.

Residents from the area where the house was located, when contacted by our correspondent for comments, declined. However, a neighbor of the late Kabiru, a man in his 40s identified only as Kola, said that smoke was first noticed coming from the house around 3 a.m.

Upon realizing that the smoke was coming from Kabiru’s house, Kola said fire service operatives from the Ede Fire Station were contacted.

Despite the prompt response, Kola explained that the house had already been severely damaged before the firemen arrived, adding that Kabiru, his wife, and the four children lost their lives in the blaze, though one of the children managed to escape.

“I can’t say when the fire started, but we observed smoke at about 3 a.m. The response time of the firemen was not bad, but the house had been badly affected before the fire could be subdued. Kabiru, his wife, and four children were already burnt to death. But one of the children escaped death,” Kola said.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Fire Service, Ibraheem Adekunle, confirmed the incident in a statement signed by the Director of the Service, Mr. Olaniyi Alimi. He stated that six lives were lost in the fire.

Alimi confirmed that a probe had begun to determine the cause of the fire, which remains unknown.

The statement read in part, “We were informed of the incident via a distress call to our emergency number 08030808254 at 3:21 a.m., and our team from Ede Zonal Command proceeded to the scene, with a backup team joining them from the Fire Service Headquarters, Abere.

“The address of the fire incident is Tijani Kabiru Road, Akankan Area, Ede North LG. The street was named after the deceased, who was a Customs officer from Oyo/Osun Command.

“Mr. Tijani Kabiru, who was reported to be in his late 40s, and his wife, said to be in her early 40s, lost their lives to the inferno, which is believed to have started about an hour before the fire service received the information.

“They (the couple) lost their lives along with four of their children (three boys and a girl), aged between three and ten years. The estimated loss due to the fire is around N200m, while the property saved is valued at N500m.

“Their bodies were handed over to the men of A’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force. Only one of their sons, out of the family of seven, escaped from the fire. The boy, who is about 13 years old, survived. The cause of the incident is still unknown, but a probe to unravel it has begun.”