THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has returned N279 million recovered from a contract fraud linked to the National Theatre, now known as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
The funds were formally handed over on Friday during a brief ceremony at the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 office located in Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to the anti-graft agency, the recovery forms part of its broader mandate to track and reclaim public funds lost to corruption and return them to the appropriate government institutions.
The case dates back to 2009 when the then General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the National Theatre, Mr Kabir Yusuf, petitioned the EFCC over alleged irregularities involving Prince Benjamin Apugo and other individuals in relation to a contract at the cultural facility.
The petition stated that the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation had awarded a contract worth N299,707,828.00 to Techno Exportstroy Nigeria Limited. The project covered the construction of five gates as well as sand filling and land reclamation works at the National Theatre complex.
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However, investigations later revealed that Yusuf Ahmed Atai, who was serving as acting general manager of the National Theatre at the time, authorised a total payment of N334,229,794.24 to the contractor. This figure exceeded the original contract value by N34,521,966.00.
Further findings by the EFCC indicated that the contractor executed only N55,910,744.00 worth of work, leaving a substantial portion of the project undone. The value of the uncompleted work was estimated at N243,799,132.25.
Investigators also found that the excess payment made to the contractor was never refunded.
Following the conclusion of the probe, the suspect was arraigned in court for prosecution. During the legal proceedings, the commission successfully recovered N279,000,000.00 from the defendant on behalf of the National Theatre.
The recovered amount was subsequently transferred to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
Speaking at the handover event, EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, represented by Assistant Commander of the EFCC and Acting Zonal Director of Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Mr Bawa Usman Kaltungo, restated the commission’s determination to ensure that recovered public funds are used appropriately.
He urged the management of the centre to ensure the money is applied strictly for its intended purpose.
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“We cannot go through the effort of recovering these funds only for them to be diverted to purposes different from what they are meant for,” he said.
Olukoyede added that the commission would monitor how the funds are deployed and had already requested details of the project for which the money would be used.
“We will conduct periodic visits to observe the progress of the work. Our responsibility does not end with recovering the money; we will also ensure that it is properly utilised,” he added.
Receiving the bank drafts on behalf of the Wole Soyinka Centre, Head of Finance and Accounts of the National Theatre, Mr Jatto Kabiru, expressed appreciation to the commission for the recovery.
He assured the EFCC that the funds would be put to proper use. Kabiru described the EFCC as one of Nigeria’s most dependable law enforcement institutions and pledged that the recovered money would be applied responsibly.
