The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has admitted to technical issues in its recent online auction of forfeited vehicles. The commission has promised to look into complaints raised by participants and ensure that no one is unfairly treated.
The auction, which took place from January 20 to 27, 2025, was conducted by licensed auctioneers on behalf of the EFCC. However, many participants reported problems, including difficulty accessing the auction websites, being locked out after submitting bids, and concerns over unusually high bid prices.
In response, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale released a statement on Thursday addressing the concerns. He noted, “The complaints arising from the exercise are unfortunate. The online auction platform was intended to ensure seamless and transparent participation, but challenges such as over four million participants and unstable internet services affected the process.”
Oyewale confirmed that the EFCC had monitored the auction and was aware of the difficulties experienced by some bidders. He stated that the issues had been reported to the accredited auctioneers for corrective action.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission notes with concern the reported unsavoury experiences of some Nigerians who participated in the just concluded public auction of forfeited vehicles conducted by accredited auctioneers on behalf of the commission,” he said.
The EFCC clarified that it was not directly responsible for the auction process, as it had been assigned to licensed auctioneers in line with legal provisions, including the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, and the Public Procurement Act, 2007. However, the commission assured the public that it is awaiting a report from the auctioneers and will review valid complaints.
Oyewale further explained, “Without making excuses for the auctioneers, it is possible that the sheer number of participants in the exercise (over four million) perhaps stretched the carrying capacity of the online facilities of the auctioneers, while unstable internet service in parts of the country exacerbated the challenge.”
He also assured that successful bidders who did not face any issues would receive their vehicles as scheduled. The EFCC maintained that its only interest in the auction was to ensure transparency and that the nation gets full value for the assets.
The auction was part of the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to dispose of assets recovered from corruption, money laundering, and cybercrime cases.
