EFCC pledges fairness after complaints mar public auction

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has assured the public of a fair review process following widespread complaints about its online auction of forfeited vehicles.

The auction, held between January 20 and 27, 2025, was marred by technical glitches, website accessibility issues, and concerns over inflated bid prices, leading to frustration among participants.

In response to the public outcry, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson ,in a statement on Thursday, acknowledged the challenges and attributed some of the problems to the overwhelming number of participants—over four million—and unstable internet services in some parts of the country.

“The complaints arising from the exercise are unfortunate. The online auction platform was designed to ensure seamless and transparent participation, but the high traffic volume and internet instability affected the process,” Oyewale said.

He confirmed that the EFCC had monitored the auction and noted the issues that occurred.

Read also: Usman Yusuf, ex-NHIS boss to remains in EFCC custody as court adjourns case

However, the commission clarified that it could not directly intervene in the process, as the exercise was handled by licensed auctioneers in line with the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, and the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

He noted that among the major complaints were bidders being locked out of the auction websites after submitting their bids, challenges accessing the platforms, and concerns over unusually high bid prices.

“Some frustrated participants took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, questioning the transparency of the process”, he added.

Oyewale stated that the EFCC had communicated these concerns to the accredited auctioneers overseeing the process for corrective action.

He assured the public that the commission was awaiting a report from the auctioneers and would review legitimate complaints to ensure fairness.

“The commission is currently awaiting the report of the auctioneers and assures that genuine complaints by members of the public will be reviewed to ensure that no one is short-changed in the exercise,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Oyewale confirmed that successful bidders who did not experience issues would receive their vehicles as scheduled.

“The EFCC’s only interest in the public auction is to ensure that the assets are disposed of in the most transparent manner and that the nation gets value for them. This cannot be compromised under any circumstance,” he added.

The auction was part of the EFCC’s efforts to dispose of assets recovered from corruption, money laundering, and cybercrime investigations.