CSOs Demand Return Of Stolen Assets To Original Victims

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria have called on the African anti-corruption agencies including Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to return all stolen assets to the original owners.

The CSOs are the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and Transparency International (TI).

Speaking through the executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs charged governments, anti-graft and law enforcement agencies in the African continent to ensure that the original victims of stolen assets were given back assets stolen from their states when recovered.

Speaking at the Global South Forum for Asset Recovery, in Nairobi Kenya, Rafsanjani decried the practice of marginalizing the original victims of stolen assets (whom the assets were stolen from in the first place) when recovered by governments across the continent.

He said the case between the Nigerian government and Delta State as well as the mismanaged COVID-19 funds in Kenya are good examples, adding that if not properly checked, the assets risk were being re-looted by officials who don’t mean well for their country. He noted that it is important for citizens of states to benefit from assets stolen away from them by corrupt rulers.

He also charged African countries to come up with legal frameworks for the management of recovered assets, stating that it will encourage countries outside the African continent where the assets are located to send them back to Africa.

Rafsanjani also charged law enforcement and anti-graft agencies in Nigeria to adhere strictly to the recently passed Proceeds of Crime. (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 when it comes to seizures, confiscation and management of recovered assets.

Rafsanjani said while the new law does not solve the issue of proper coordination, the provision for anti-graft agencies to operate a database of recovered information where citizens can know the status of seized assets is commendable.

He, however, lauded President Mu8hammadu Buhari and the National Assembly for the piece of legislation which according to him was long overdue.

He also noted that recovered assets shouldn’t be used for bogus projects, but rather projects that would benefit the citizens.

The CISLAC boss also called for more cooperation between state and non-state actors in asset tracing, repatriation and disposal.

The forum had representatives drawn from civil society organisations in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Angola, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United State, France, Germany, representatives from the African Union secretariat, GIZ amongst others.