The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has handed over a bank draft valued at N1,054,919,532.61 to 659 Batch D1 disengaged staff of the Adamawa State Post-Primary Schools Management Board.
The amount represents funds recovered in the course of an investigation.
Speaking at the brief handover ceremony, the Acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Austine Adache, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to accountability, justice and restitution of recovered funds to their rightful beneficiaries.
He emphasized that the EFCC remains committed to ensuring that victims of financial misconduct receive appropriate redress in accordance with the law.
Leading the beneficiaries, their counsel, Luka Musa Haruna, SAN, who received the bank draft on their behalf, expressed appreciation to the Commission for its painstaking investigation and commitment to securing the recovery, noting that he had consistently maintained confidence in the EFCC’s capacity to combat economic and financial crimes.
Similarly, Abraham B. Song, the petitioner whose complaint initiated the investigation, commended the Commission for its prompt intervention, saying the recovered funds would significantly alleviate the financial losses and hardship suffered by the affected staff.
The recovery followed a petition submitted to the EFCC in 2024 by Song, who alleged that the beneficiaries were employed by the Adamawa State Government in 2012 and served for 29 months in various secondary schools across the state.
According to the petitioner, their appointments were declared illegal by the state government in 2014, following which the affected staff instituted proceedings before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Yola Judicial Division, sitting in Jos.
The court ordered the Adamawa State Government to pay their outstanding entitlements.
However, the alleged failure to comply with the court’s order resulted in garnishee proceedings against the state government’s accounts.
In the course of its investigation, the EFCC reportedly received intelligence indicating a potential risk of suspicious misapplication of the funds. The Commission consequently took steps to preserve the funds pending the outcome of its investigation, ultimately facilitating their recovery and restitution to the beneficiaries.
The EFCC said the recovery and handover underscore its commitment to protecting victims of financial wrongdoing and ensuring recovered proceeds are returned to their rightful owners.
