The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over 1,452 items recovered from proceeds of crime to the Federal Ministry of Education for distribution to schools across the country.
The items, comprising 501 double-step bunk beds, 939 mattresses and 12 wooden beds with mattresses, were presented to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday by the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Speaking at the event, Olukoyede said the assets were recovered during the commission’s nationwide anti-cybercrime operation, codenamed Operation Eagle Flush, carried out in late 2024.
He described the exercise as the largest single operation in the commission’s history, noting that it resulted in the arrest of 792 suspects, including 193 foreign nationals. According to him, all those arrested were investigated and prosecuted, while the foreign nationals were deported after serving their prison terms.
Olukoyede said the transfer of the recovered items reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that assets forfeited through criminal activities are redirected to projects that improve the lives of Nigerians.
He recalled that the EFCC had previously handed over a forfeited private university to the Federal Government, which was subsequently converted into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia.
The EFCC chairman also highlighted the commission’s contribution to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), stating that recovered proceeds of crime were used to support the student loan scheme.
According to him, more than 1.4 million students have benefited from the initiative, adding that expanding access to education would help discourage young people from engaging in cybercrime and other financial offences.
Olukoyede reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to recovering illicit assets and ensuring they are deployed transparently for the benefit of the public.
In his remarks, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, commended the EFCC for its efforts in combating corruption, particularly procurement fraud and cybercrime.
He described education as a key pillar of the Federal Government’s economic reform agenda and said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had intentionally directed that recovered assets be invested in strengthening the education sector.
Alausa disclosed that the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, admitted about 3,000 students during its first academic session and is projected to enrol more than 5,000 students in its second year.
He also revealed that the initial ₦50 billion seed capital for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund was sourced from recovered proceeds of crime.