The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is transforming proceeds of crime into investments that improve student welfare, strengthen learning infrastructure and expand access to quality education across the country.
Speaking during the handover of recovered assets by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, Alausa said the Federal Government’s asset recovery programme reflects the President’s commitment to ensuring that resources recovered from criminal activities are redirected to projects that directly benefit Nigerians, particularly children and young people.
The recovered assets, comprising 501 double-decker bed frames, 939 mattresses and 12 wooden beds with mattresses, were formally transferred to the Federal Ministry of Education during a restitution ceremony.
According to Alausa, the initiative underscores the Tinubu administration’s determination to reinvest recovered public assets in critical sectors, with education remaining a top priority.
The minister said education is central to the President’s vision of building a one-trillion-dollar economy through sustained investment in human capital development. He noted that converting recovered assets into educational resources demonstrates a deliberate policy of turning the proceeds of crime into opportunities that enhance learning outcomes and secure a brighter future for Nigerian students.
Alausa described the education sector as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s asset recovery efforts. He recalled that President Tinubu had earlier approved the conversion of a forfeited university facility into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, instead of allowing the property to be sold.
According to him, the university has already enrolled more than 3,000 students in programmes spanning applied sciences, engineering, nursing, health sciences and other critical fields, creating fresh opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire skills needed for national development.
The minister added that the newly recovered assets would significantly improve accommodation and welfare for students in colleges and other educational institutions nationwide.
He also commended EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, for strengthening public confidence in the anti-graft agency through professionalism, adherence to the rule of law and sustained efforts in tackling corruption, procurement fraud and cybercrime.
Earlier, Olukoyede disclosed that the assets were recovered during Operation Eagle Flush, one of the Commission’s largest cybercrime operations.
He explained that the operation, carried out towards the end of 2024, led to the arrest of about 792 suspects, including foreign nationals, who were investigated, prosecuted, convicted and repatriated after serving their prison terms.
The EFCC chairman said the restitution was in line with the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that recovered assets are transparently deployed for national development.
Olukoyede noted that children and young people are among the greatest victims of corruption and financial crimes, making it appropriate for them to benefit from assets recovered from criminal enterprises.
He also highlighted previous interventions by the Commission in the education sector, including the transfer of the forfeited university facility that now houses the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, and the deployment of recovered proceeds of crime as part of the seed funding for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
According to him, about 1.4 million students have already benefited from the student loan scheme through tuition support and monthly upkeep allowances, easing financial pressures that often expose vulnerable youths to cybercrime and other financial offences.
The handover of the recovered assets was formalised through the signing of a Deed of Release by representatives of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Education, including the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan.
Alausa assured Nigerians that the recovered assets would be distributed transparently and equitably to Unity Schools across the country, where they would enhance student welfare, improve accommodation, strengthen learning infrastructure and support the Federal Government’s commitment to providing accessible, inclusive and quality education for every Nigerian child.
