The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday handed over a recovered sum of ₦100 million to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in Akwa Ibom State.

According to a statement signed by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity, the money recovered from defaulting mining companies in the State represents unpaid royalties owed to the government.

It disclosed that the symbolic presentation of the bank draft was made by Johnson Oshodi, Uyo Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I), on behalf of Ola Olukoyede, the Commission’s Executive Chairman.

Speaking at the ceremony in Uyo, Oshodi said the recovery was part of ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s mining sector and other areas of government revenue.

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He stressed that recovering public funds and assets remained a top priority for the Commission.

“We want Nigerians to know that accountability is the way to earn public trust

“This ₦100 million is just the beginning; there is more to come. The EFCC will recover every kobo belonging to the government that is being withheld. Our investigations are ongoing, and we expect even bigger recoveries in the mining sector and beyond”, Olukoyede stated.

He called for deeper collaboration between federal ministries and the EFCC, particularly in information sharing, to strengthen results at strategic, operational, and tactical levels.

Receiving the draft, Emmanuel Effiong Bassey, Federal Mines Officer in charge of Akwa Ibom State, commended the EFCC for its swift action and diligence.

He revealed that the recovery followed a petition submitted to the Commission, and praised the prompt response, which led to the unprecedented recovery in the state’s mining sector.

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“This sector is critical to the nation’s economy. Without solid minerals, the country struggles. This partnership must be strengthened so that more recoveries can be made,” Bassey said.

Olukoyede further appreciated the Ministry’s contribution of actionable intelligence, which proved crucial in tracing and recovering the funds.

He assured that the EFCC would continue to deploy intelligence-led investigations to recover government resources and maintain its anti-corruption mandate.