EFCC records 110 convictions this year

EFCC records 110 convictions this year

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that it recorded 110 convictions this year.

Speaking at the 2014 International Anti-corruption Day held in Abuja, yesterday, the Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, said the Commission hoped to increase the number before the end of the year to exceed the 117 convictions recorded in 2013.

The event was organised by the Inter-agency Task Team (IATT), which is a coordinating forum of 22 government establishments with anti-corruption and accountability mandates.

The EFCC boss said the Commission had set up a forensic department saddled with the responsibility of investigating infractions involving finger prints authentications and cyber crimes.

In addition, he said the Commission had taken the anti-corruption crusade to the grassroots, using the  traditional rulers and the social media.

Speaking on this year’s commemorative theme: “Break the Corruption Chain,” the Chairman of IATT, Mr. Ledum Mitee, said that for Nigeria to make significant progress on development, the people must break the corruption chain.

He, however, acknowledged that the country had not relented in the bid to combat corruption, adding that efforts of anti-corruption institutions, legislations and measures accounted for the improvement in Nigeria’s rating in the recently released Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Mitee insisted that “the fact that corruption continues to remain a hydra-headed problem in Nigeria shows that we need to do more than passing laws and creating further institutions.”