The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has applauded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for securing a series of landmark court victories that have resulted in the permanent forfeiture of billions of naira worth of assets linked to corruption and other unlawful activities.
The rights group, however, cautioned that the anti-corruption campaign would lose public credibility if recovered assets are not managed transparently and used for the benefit of Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA described the recent forfeiture orders—including billions of naira worth of jewellery and luxury vehicles, cash linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, the Supreme Court’s restoration of the forfeiture of assets associated with former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, and the confiscation of 52 luxury housing units in Lagos—as significant milestones in the country’s fight against corruption.
According to the association, the judicial victories have reinforced public confidence in the courts as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
It stressed, however, that securing forfeiture orders represents only one phase of the anti-graft campaign, insisting that equal attention must be given to ensuring that all recovered assets are properly accounted for and deployed for projects that directly benefit citizens.
“The anti-corruption campaign will lose its moral authority the day recovered assets disappear into another opaque government vault from which Nigerians hear nothing except political rhetoric,” the statement said.
HURIWA noted that despite repeated announcements of recoveries running into hundreds of billions of naira, many Nigerians remain uncertain about the whereabouts, management and utilisation of the assets.
The group therefore called on the EFCC to institutionalise a comprehensive public accountability framework by publishing periodic reports detailing all forfeited assets, their estimated values, locations, current status, methods of disposal where applicable, and the public projects funded from the proceeds.
It also urged the Federal Government to resist any attempt to treat forfeited assets as political patronage, stressing that such assets belong to the Nigerian people rather than government officials or politically connected individuals.
The association further advocated greater citizen participation in the asset recovery process by calling on the EFCC to involve civil society organisations, anti-corruption groups, the Nigerian Bar Association, professional accountants, auditors and independent media organisations in monitoring the valuation, preservation, auction and disposal of forfeited assets.
HURIWA maintained that corruption remains one of the major drivers of Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty, arguing that every asset acquired through illicit wealth represents public services denied to citizens, including healthcare, education, infrastructure and employment opportunities.
Describing corruption as not only an economic crime but also a violation of the fundamental human rights of millions of Nigerians, the association called for stronger anti-corruption laws, stricter enforcement and stiffer sanctions against offenders.
It also urged Nigerians to support an anti-corruption campaign anchored on the rule of law, institutional independence, transparency and equal justice, warning against selective prosecution or politically motivated enforcement.
HURIWA concluded that the true measure of the anti-corruption war should not be the number of arrests or court-ordered forfeitures, but the extent to which recovered assets are converted into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians through quality education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic opportunities.HURIWA Commends EFCC’s Courtroom Wins, Demands Transparency in Management of Recovered Assets
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has applauded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for securing a series of landmark court victories that have resulted in the permanent forfeiture of billions of naira worth of assets linked to corruption and other unlawful activities.
The rights group, however, cautioned that the anti-corruption campaign would lose public credibility if recovered assets are not managed transparently and used for the benefit of Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA described the recent forfeiture orders—including billions of naira worth of jewellery and luxury vehicles, cash linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, the Supreme Court’s restoration of the forfeiture of assets associated with former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, and the confiscation of 52 luxury housing units in Lagos—as significant milestones in the country’s fight against corruption.
According to the association, the judicial victories have reinforced public confidence in the courts as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
It stressed, however, that securing forfeiture orders represents only one phase of the anti-graft campaign, insisting that equal attention must be given to ensuring that all recovered assets are properly accounted for and deployed for projects that directly benefit citizens.
“The anti-corruption campaign will lose its moral authority the day recovered assets disappear into another opaque government vault from which Nigerians hear nothing except political rhetoric,” the statement said.
HURIWA noted that despite repeated announcements of recoveries running into hundreds of billions of naira, many Nigerians remain uncertain about the whereabouts, management and utilisation of the assets.
The group therefore called on the EFCC to institutionalise a comprehensive public accountability framework by publishing periodic reports detailing all forfeited assets, their estimated values, locations, current status, methods of disposal where applicable, and the public projects funded from the proceeds.
It also urged the Federal Government to resist any attempt to treat forfeited assets as political patronage, stressing that such assets belong to the Nigerian people rather than government officials or politically connected individuals.
The association further advocated greater citizen participation in the asset recovery process by calling on the EFCC to involve civil society organisations, anti-corruption groups, the Nigerian Bar Association, professional accountants, auditors and independent media organisations in monitoring the valuation, preservation, auction and disposal of forfeited assets.
HURIWA maintained that corruption remains one of the major drivers of Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty, arguing that every asset acquired through illicit wealth represents public services denied to citizens, including healthcare, education, infrastructure and employment opportunities.
Describing corruption as not only an economic crime but also a violation of the fundamental human rights of millions of Nigerians, the association called for stronger anti-corruption laws, stricter enforcement and stiffer sanctions against offenders.
It also urged Nigerians to support an anti-corruption campaign anchored on the rule of law, institutional independence, transparency and equal justice, warning against selective prosecution or politically motivated enforcement.
HURIWA concluded that the true measure of the anti-corruption war should not be the number of arrests or court-ordered forfeitures, but the extent to which recovered assets are converted into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians through quality education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic opportunities.