Punch Newspaper Requests Forfeited Assets’ Details From EFCC, ICPC

Punch Newspaper has requested forfeited assets’ details from EFCC and ICPC.

Newsonline reports that Punch Newspaper on Friday said that it has requested from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission, details of properties and assets forfeited by corrupt individuals and the number of bank accounts frozen on the orders of the courts.

This online newspaper understands that Punch Newspaper’s request was based on the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

The letters, addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa and his ICPC counterpart, Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, followed the failure of the two anti-graft agencies to provide information on the forfeited properties and assets in their custody.

The letters to the EFCC and ICPC dated September 14, 2022, signed by the Acting Abuja Bureau Chief, Punch Nigeria Limited, Mr Adelani Adepegba, was titled, ‘FoI request for details of assets forfeited by corrupt individuals and the number of bank accounts frozen in the past four years.’

It read, “We write this letter in line with the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. We hereby request for the details of properties/assets seized from corrupt individuals and the number of bank accounts frozen in the past four years by the EFCC and the ICPC.

“The response could come in hard or soft copy. In case of soft copy, kindly forward the response to: buzzdelan2@gmail.com.

“Based on the provision of the FOI Act, we hope that our request will be granted within seven days of your receipt of this letter.”

The FoI is an Act to make public records and information more freely available.