EFCC returns N279m recovered from National Theatre contract fraud
EFCC Hands Over N279 Million in Recovered Funds to Wole Soyinka Centre
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has transferred N279 million obtained from a fraud investigation to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, formerly known as the National Theatre Lagos.
The official handover took place Friday at the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 office in Ikoyi. The transfer is part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption and ensure the return of illicitly acquired public funds to their rightful institutions.
The case dates back to 2009 when Kabir Yusuf, the former General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the National Theatre, filed a petition with the EFCC. In the petition, he alleged that Prince Benjamin Apugo and others had engaged in wrongdoing related to a contract for a project at the theatre.
The original contract, valued at N299,707,828, was awarded to Techno Exportstroy Nigeria Limited through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and National Orientation. It was intended for the construction of five gates and sand filling and reclamation work at the National Theatre complex.
The EFCC’s investigation revealed that Yusuf Ahmed Atai, then Acting General Manager, authorized a total payment of N334,229,794.24 to the contractor, exceeding the contracted amount by N34,521,966. The contractor completed work valued at only N55,910,744.00, leaving an unfinished balance of N243,799,132.25. Investigators also found that the excess payment was not returned.
Following the conclusion of their investigation, the EFCC pursued prosecution, resulting in the recovery of N279 million from the defendant for the benefit of the complainant.
During the handover ceremony, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC Executive Chairman, represented by Assistant Commander Bawa Usman Kaltungo, reiterated the commission’s commitment to accountability for public funds. He encouraged the Wole Soyinka Centre’s management to utilize the recovered money wisely.
“We cannot recover this money for you and allow it to be misused,” Kaltungo said. “We will monitor how it is spent, and we expect it to benefit Nigeria.”
Jatto Kabiru, Head of Finance and Accounts for the Wole Soyinka Centre, expressed gratitude to the EFCC for the recovery. He assured that the funds would be managed responsibly.
“We greatly appreciate this significant recovery. The EFCC is a key player in Nigeria’s law enforcement, and I assure you the money will be used judiciously,” Kabiru said.
