Anti-corruption group seeks reciprocation after EFCC returns funds of victims of fraud
The Journalists Against Corruption (JAC), a non -governmental, not-for-profit advocacy group, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the restitution of funds recovered from local fraudsters to the victims, who are foreigners.
In a statement on Sunday, the group called on western countries, especially European American, Spanish, Swish and other nations, whose citizens were duped by Nigerians but had their funds and properties returned to them to reciprocate the Nigerian government gesture.
The Times of Abuja reports that the EFCC, last week handed over $132,362.43, N78,566, 324. 81 to American, Spanish and Swiss victims of local fraudsters.
In the statement signed by its programme coordinator, Kehinde Osifisan, JAC posited that: “It is binding on the foreign countries not only to reciprocate the gesture of the EFCC but also to ease the access of the Nigerian government to proceeds of corruption stashed away by Nigerians in these foreign countries, especially by politically exposed persons.”
“It is actually ridiculous, hypocritical and unacceptable for these countries to hold on to proceeds of corruption from Nigerian for years, and in some instances, decades, and then turn around to give funny conditions to Nigerian government before the money could be accessed,” the group added.
“In fact, it is our firm demand that the stashed away funds by Nigerians in these foreign countries, having been used for the benefits of their economies, should be returned to Nigeria with calculated interest, instead of dictating to a sovereign nation how it should spend its recovered wealth.”
The group, while commending the chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, and his team for the accomplished strides against corruption, urged them not to be discouraged, “especially in the face of campaign of calumny by perpetrators of corruption and their local and foreign collaborators”.
