The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over 1,452 recovered items to the Federal Ministry of Education to improve learning facilities in schools across the country.
The items, which include 501 double-step bunk beds, 939 mattresses and 12 wooden beds with mattresses, were formally presented by EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a ceremony in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Olukoyede said the items were recovered during Operation Eagle Flush, a nationwide operation carried out in late 2024 to combat cybercrime and other financial offences.
He described the exercise as the largest single operation ever conducted by the anti-graft agency.
According to the EFCC chairman, the operation led to the arrest of 792 suspects, including 193 foreign nationals, who were investigated, prosecuted and convicted before the foreign nationals were deported after serving their prison terms.
Olukoyede explained that the decision to transfer the recovered assets to the Ministry of Education reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that proceeds of crime are redirected towards projects that benefit Nigerians.
He said President Bola Tinubu approved the initiative with the understanding that children and young people are among the greatest victims of corruption and financial crimes and should therefore be the first beneficiaries of recovered assets.
The EFCC chairman noted that the latest handover follows previous interventions in the education sector, including the transfer of a forfeited university facility that has since been converted into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, in Kaduna State.
He also disclosed that recovered proceeds of crime contributed to the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), adding that more than 1.4 million students have benefited from the student loan programme.
According to Olukoyede, expanding access to education will help reduce the attraction of cybercrime among young Nigerians by creating more opportunities through formal education.
He assured Nigerians that the EFCC would continue to recover proceeds of crime and ensure that all recovered assets are managed with transparency and accountability.
Receiving the items, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, commended the EFCC for its proactive approach to fighting corruption, particularly in tackling procurement-related offences and cybercrime.
He described education as a key pillar of the Federal Government’s economic development agenda, noting that President Tinubu considers investment in education essential to achieving the country’s long-term growth objectives.
Alausa revealed that the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, admitted about 3,000 students during its first academic session and is expected to increase enrolment to more than 5,000 students in its second year.
The minister also disclosed that the initial N50 billion used to establish the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) came from recovered proceeds of crime secured by the EFCC.
He said the newly donated beds and mattresses would be distributed to Federal Unity Colleges across the country to improve hostel accommodation for students.
Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the recovered assets are effectively utilised to strengthen access to quality education in line with the Federal Government’s education agenda.
The handover forms part of the Federal Government’s policy of deploying forfeited assets to public projects, particularly those aimed at improving the education sector.
