The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urgently called for the return of stolen Nigerian assets currently held in foreign countries. The statement, shared on the commission’s official handle on Wednesday, revealed that Olukoyede made this appeal on Tuesday during the ongoing 10th session of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta, United States.
Emphasizing the necessity of repatriating stolen assets from foreign jurisdictions, Olukoyede underscored its importance for economic growth and the expansion of developmental opportunities both within and beyond Nigeria. He urged countries holding such assets to view themselves as collaborators in the fight against corruption and stressed that transnational crime, particularly in the form of corruption, requires international cooperation.
Olukoyede highlighted the legal challenges associated with recovering stolen assets held abroad and asserted that withholding such assets indirectly supports the perpetrators of the crimes. He argued that by encouraging corruption in Africa, countries holding these assets are inadvertently contributing to a global issue, as financial crimes have become pervasive on a global scale.
In concluding his statement, Olukoyede reiterated the call for the global community, especially the custodian countries of stolen assets, to collaborate with Nigeria in its efforts for asset recovery. He emphasized that cooperation in repatriating assets traced to foreign jurisdictions is crucial for fostering friendly relations, stating that support in recovering such assets would be a defining factor in considering these countries as allies in the fight against corruption.
