The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (Resource Centre) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, demanding a full investigation into an alleged illicit transfer of £400,000 by Senator Sunday Marshall Katung and his wife to the United Kingdom.
In a petition signed by HEDA Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, the civil society group urged the anti-graft agency to probe, prosecute, and recover funds suspected to be proceeds of criminal conduct.
HEDA in a statement made available to Punch on Wednesday, cited a recent Premium Times investigation that reported how Senator Katung, who currently represents Kaduna South Senatorial District, allegedly moved £400,000 out of Nigeria between April and May 2015 via unlicensed Bureau De Change (BDC) operators.
According to the report, the money was used by his wife to make an initial deposit on a £1 million property in the United Kingdom.
“The court was satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that foreign exchange transactions were conducted to circumvent Nigerian regulations and possibly avoid punitive exchange rates,” HEDA stated in the petition.
The UK High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, ruled that the National Crime Agency (NCA) had proven that the property in question was purchased with proceeds of crime. The court noted that Mrs. Katung failed to adequately explain the source of the funds, and that some of the BDCs she mentioned, such as My Honey Oil Interbiz Ltd, were not listed as licensed operators by the Central Bank of Nigeria as of June 2021.
HEDA described the case as “a clear case of illicit financial flow” and stressed the need for immediate action by the EFCC.
“There must be accountability. Nigeria cannot continue to lose public resources to illicit capital flight under the guise of private property acquisition,” Mr. Suraju said.
He added, “Corruption and money laundering are criminal offences with no statute of limitation. Prosecution can be initiated at any point once evidence emerges.”
The organization urged the EFCC to investigate all parties involved, including the Senator and the BDC operators implicated in the transactions. It also called for the legal process to recover the full £400,000 used for the property deposit in the UK.
HEDA commended the EFCC’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts and expressed confidence in the commission’s ability to handle the case with urgency.
“We believe in the capacity of the EFCC to rise to the occasion. The credibility of Nigeria’s fight against corruption is at stake, and prompt action will send a strong signal,” Suraju noted.