From: TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has recovered over N2 billion stolen funds in Rivers State within the year.

The Commission made disclosed this, on Monday, in Port Harcourt, during a walk against corruption in commemoration of the United Nation’s Anti-Corruption Day.

Speaking after addressing traders and motorists at Mile 1 Market, Diobu, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of the state, the Chairman of EFCC South-South zone, Port Harcourt, Ishaq Salihu, urged  members of the public to support the anti-corruption war.

According to Salihu, “We have achieved tremendous result this year in our activities. We have recovered a lot of houses even as direct proceed of crime. Some of these houses, we have gotten court orders for interim forfeiture and before the end of this year, we will get final forfeiture.

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“We have within this year alone recovered N1.9 billion and this is not through whistle blower policy,  but case to case. We recovered N450 million for the Federal Government in the Central Bank of Nigerian deposited in Port Harcourt.

“If we put all together, including individual recoveries, it is over N2 billion. It is not something to be happy about or to celebrate. It calls for worries and concerns. We have secured over 30 convictions even at the national and we are not resting on our achievements”, he stated.

The EFCC boss passed vote of confidence on the anti-corruption fight of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, stating that no other administration had shown the political will to tackle corruption.

He stated that within the period under review, that huge sum of stolen funds had been recovered and avenues for capital flights blocked, adding that looters would not be tolerated in the fight.

He, however, sued for synergy among the public and the Commission, urging  members of the public to make information about  theft, embezzlement their priority in 2018.