Corruption: EFCC secures 3,785 convictions in 2022, highest since inception

…Record 70.5% improvement over 2021 convictions of 2,220

…Record shows 98.93% success rate in  2022 prosecution

…Only 41 cases, representing 1.07% lost within period

…Lagos, Ibadan, Portharcourt Commands lead in conviction records

Campaign against corruption may have paid somewhat for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2022, as the antigraft agency secured no less than 3,785 convictions in the year.

The EFCC on Wednesday said the total 3,785 convictions were recorded across all its Commands in 2022.

According to a statement by EFCC Spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, the figure, which emerged from a review of the commission’s performance in the outgone year, shows a 70.5 per cent improvement over its record for 2021 (2220).

It also represents a 98.93 per cent success rate in prosecution given that the Commission lost only 41 cases, representing 1.07 per cent within the period

As it was in 2021, the Lagos Command of the Agency recorded the most convictions – 765, closely followed by the Ibadan Command with 573 convictions and the Port Harcourt Zonal Command- with 567, while the headquarters recorded 314 convictions.

The conviction secured by the Commission in 2022 is the highest by the EFCC Since inception and sustains an upward trajectory which began shortly after the emergence of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Buhari administration was elected in 2015 on a tripod of promises — anti-corruption, economic recovery and security. In 2015, EFCC recorded a total of 103 convictions. This shot to 195 convictions in 2016, the first full year in office of the Buhari administration. The figure improved to 312 in 2018, and 1,280 in 2019, dropped slightly to 976 convictions in 2020, the year of covid-19, and then moved up to 2,220 in 2021.

The percentile improvement of the EFCC convictions in the seven years of the Buhari administration from 103 to 3,785, is over 3574.8 per cent.

Commenting on the performance, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, commended the personnel of the Commission for their industry and dedication despite the challenges of criminal prosecution in court.

He assured that the EFCC will continue to motivate all categories of staff for greater efficiency through capacity development and other incentives.