EFCC SIGNBOARD
Commission vows tougher action against revenue defaulters in solid minerals sector
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over the sum of ₦100 million to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, being unpaid royalties recovered from defaulting mining companies operating in Akwa Ibom State.The symbolic presentation of the recovered funds, in the form of a bank draft, took place on Friday in Uyo. It was made by Johnson Oshodi, the Uyo Zonal Director of the EFCC and Assistant Commander of the Commission (ACE I), on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
According to a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, the recovery followed a petition submitted to the Commission over outstanding royalties owed by certain mining companies. The EFCC said the action is part of its ongoing efforts to block revenue leakages, enforce accountability, and ensure transparency in the solid minerals sector and other critical areas of the economy.
Speaking at the ceremony, Oshodi emphasized that recovering public funds and assets remains a core mandate of the Commission. He noted that the recovered amount represents only the beginning of more recoveries to come. “We want Nigerians to know that accountability is the way to earn public trust. This ₦100 million is just the beginning; there is more to come. The EFCC will recover every kobo belonging to the government that is being withheld. Our investigations are ongoing, and we expect even bigger recoveries in the mining sector and beyond,” he declared.
The EFCC Chairman also urged closer collaboration between federal ministries and the Commission, stressing that effective information sharing would enhance results at both operational and strategic levels.
Receiving the draft on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Emmanuel Effiong Bassey, the Federal Mines Officer in charge of Akwa Ibom State, applauded the EFCC for what he described as a landmark recovery in the state’s mining sector. He explained that the recovery was a direct response to the petition lodged with the Commission, and praised the EFCC’s swift action in addressing the matter. “This sector is critical to the nation’s economy. Without solid minerals, the country struggles. This partnership must be strengthened so that more recoveries can be made,” Bassey remarked.
Olukoyede further acknowledged the role of the Ministry in providing actionable intelligence that aided the tracing and recovery of the funds. He assured that the EFCC would continue to rely on intelligence-led investigations to track stolen or withheld government revenues, reaffirming the agency’s determination to sustain its anti-corruption drive and safeguard national resources.
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