The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over 1,452 items recovered from the proceeds of crime to the Federal Ministry of Education to improve facilities in Unity Schools and other federal educational institutions across the country.
The items, comprising 501 double-step bunk beds, 939 mattresses and 12 wooden beds with mattresses, were formally presented on Tuesday in Abuja by EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Olukoyede said the items were recovered during the commission's nationwide "Operation Eagle Flush," conducted in late 2024 to combat cybercrime and other financial crimes.
He described the operation as the largest single enforcement exercise ever carried out by the EFCC, noting that it led to the arrest of 792 suspects, including 193 foreign nationals. According to him, all the suspects were investigated, prosecuted and convicted, while the foreign nationals were deported after serving their jail terms.
Olukoyede explained that the transfer of the recovered items aligns with the Federal Government's policy of ensuring that assets recovered from criminal activities are redirected to projects that deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.
He noted that the donation was part of a series of interventions funded through recovered assets, recalling that a forfeited private university was previously transferred to the Federal Government and transformed into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia.
The EFCC chairman further disclosed that recovered proceeds of crime also contributed to the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), through which more than 1.4 million students have accessed educational loans.
He stressed that expanding access to education would help discourage young Nigerians from engaging in cybercrime, adding that the commission remains committed to recovering illicit assets and ensuring their transparent deployment for national development.
Receiving the items, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa commended the EFCC leadership for its proactive efforts in combating corruption, particularly procurement fraud and cybercrime.
He described education as a critical pillar of the Federal Government's economic transformation agenda, stating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had deliberately directed that recovered assets be invested in strengthening the country's education sector.
Alausa disclosed that the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia admitted about 3,000 students in its inaugural academic session and is expected to increase enrolment to over 5,000 students in its second year.
The minister also revealed that the initial ₦50 billion seed funding for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund came from recovered proceeds of crime, describing the initiative as a clear demonstration of how anti-corruption efforts can be translated into meaningful investments in education and national development.
