Ibadan Zonal Head of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Friday Ebelo, has said from January till date, the commission has secured 83 convictions and recovered N116,945,981 in the zone.

Ebelo, who took over headship of the zone on January 31 stated this at a news briefing held at the Commission’s office, Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan.

Ebelo said the zone had made tremendous success within the period, adding, “With the unwavering support of our Chairman and other stakeholders, the zone has recorded remarkable successes in the period under review.”

According to him, the zone received 481 petitions, out of which 117 were rejected because they did not fall under the Commission’s mandate, adding that out of the remaining 364 that were approved for investigation, 107 had investigations on them concluded with cases filed in court.

“We were able to secure 83 convictions out of the 107 cases filed at different courts within the zone. That represents 83% of the total number of cases. Others in foreign currency include $39,125,€1,800 and £50,” he stated.

The EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Head also said that the last six months witnessed the recovery of 65 vehicles among which 54 were registered.

While appreciating the Nigerian press for its partnership with the Commission, Ebelo sought cooperation with members of the public, saying the fight against corruption would only yield fruit if every Nigerian shows commitment.

“This is our country and we all have the responsibility to make it better for ourselves and the coming generations. If we fail to act, we will all suffer the consequences. Let us work together to ensure that corruption is reduced to the barest minimum so that we will all enjoy peace, security and development that are much more guaranteed in orderly and crime-free society,” he submitted.

Also, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibadan zone has revealed that the majority of the suspects arrested for fraud were young Nigerians, whose ages ranged from 18 to 40.

Its Zonal Head, Friday Ebelo, warned parents to guide their ward aright, saying in the last six months, our analysis of crime indices revealed that most of the suspects arrested were young Nigerians who have the potential to be great in life.

“We implore parents to ensure accurate guidance of their wards through re-orientation and constant check on them, particularly those in schools.

“The commission is not unmindful that these are Nigerian citizens who can be better. We must also be wary while we try to be our brother’s keepers, particularly on shoddy transactions,’’ he said.

Ebelo also revealed that the zone secured 83 convictions out of 107 cases filed in courts in six months.

He said that the zone received 481 petitions out of which 117 were rejected based on jurisdiction and 364 approved for investigation.

The Ibadan zone of the commission oversees Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States.

He said that the convictions were secured in various courts in the zone, saying that the commission recovered an aggregate sum of N116, 945, 981.68.

He said that foreign-related recoveries included 39,125 US dollars, 1,800 euros and 50 pounds from January to June 21.

The EFCC zonal head said that the commission also recovered 65 vehicles out of which 54 were registered and 11 unregistered.

Ebelo said that the EFCC was collaborating with other security agencies to curb kidnapping and other crimes, saying that such activities were the fallout of underdevelopment.

He described the plan by the Oyo State Government to set up an anti-corruption agency in the state as a welcome development, saying that such would help fight corruption in our society.

According to him, it is a welcome development as long as it is an effort to curb corrupt practices and promote the well-being of society.

“This space is enough for all of us to work,” he said.

Ebelo allayed the fear of cases being influenced by prominent Nigerians, saying their cases were not time-bound and could come up any time after thorough investigation.

He appreciated the tremendous cooperation of the media, saying the media had effectively played their roles as dependable partners.

“While we look forward to a more robust and engaging relationship with you, we like to implore the Nigerian public to show more commitment to the fight against corruption.

“This is our country and we all have the responsibility to make it better for ourselves and the coming generations. If we fail to act, we will all suffer the consequences.

“Let us work together to ensure that corruption is reduced to the barest minimum so that we will enjoy peace, security and development that are much more guaranteed in orderly and crime-free society,’’ Ebelo said.