The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has handed over a-13 bedroom, one-storey building and a basement forfeited by the late Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, to the management of North East Development Commission, NEDC.
The property was forfeited on the order of the court, at the end of EFCC’s prosecution of Badeh for money laundering and corruption.
Acting spokesman for the commission, Mr. Tony Orilade, in a statement in Abuja, on Thursday said the property located at No 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama, Abuja, were handed over to NEDC management by the EFCC Director of Operations, Mr. Muhammed Umar, who represented the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The statement quoted Magu as saying: “I wish to congratulate the management and staff of the NEDC on taking the ownership of this beautiful edifice.
“I equally want to implore the commission to put the property into maximum use for the benefit of the staff of the commission and the country at large.”
On his part, NEDC Chairman, Maj. Gen. Paul Tarfa, rtd, thanked the Federal Government and the EFCC for the gesture and promised to cooperate with them in the fight against corruption.
He said: “We are grateful to the Federal Government and EFCC for allowing us to use this place permanently as office or liaison office, here in Abuja.
“We appreciate this gesture, because we understand that ministries and other departments and agencies have been trying to get this place but because of the importance government attaches to NEDC, we are glad that we have been considered for this.”