The Senate on Tuesday resolved to investigate how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been deducting 2 percent from recovered loot without prior legislative approval.
This decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende (APC, Benue North East) on the urgent need to commend the EFCC for its remarkable achievements in recent times despite operational challenges.
Presenting the motion, Udende disclosed that in 2024 alone, the EFCC received 15,724 petitions, opened and investigated 10,928 cases, filed 5,081 cases in court, secured 4,111 convictions, and recovered billions of naira, thereby boosting the nation’s revenue base.
However, during deliberation, Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central) raised concerns over the 2 percent deductions made by the EFCC, questioning whether the commission had obtained legislative authorisation for such withdrawals.
In response, Senator Udende explained that the law mandates the president to approve the 2 percent and forward it to the National Assembly for ratification.
“I’ve observed that since the beginning of this Senate, that has not been done, but we are following it up,” he added.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session, emphasised the need to ascertain whether the EFCC had ever sought presidential approval for the deductions.
Akpabio directed that relevant committees should obtain the specific legal provisions governing the deductions and verify whether the EFCC had applied to the President for such spending.
The Senate thereafter mandated its relevant committees to intensify oversight and provide legislative support to strengthen the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies in promoting accountability, transparency, and public trust.
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