The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has kept silent on the current state of its investigation into claims of large-scale fraud involving senior officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Several top officials of the NSCDC were said to have been detained after being invited by the anti-graft agency, which is probing reports that more than ₦7.5 billion was diverted through questionable contracts and suspicious payments.
The EFCC has reportedly collected statements from a number of those involved and traced financial movements linked to the allegations. The money is believed to have been taken from funds meant to support school security under the Safe Schools Initiative, along with other operational budgets.
The allegations include the diversion of security allocations, inflated or irregular contracts, and payments allegedly pushed through Bureau de Change operators. Despite the arrests and early findings, the EFCC has not explained the status of the case, what has been recovered, or when those implicated will be taken to court.
The secrecy surrounding the matter has drawn reactions from civil society groups. In Abuja, the Education Accountability Network released a statement signed by its convener, Tola Abegunde, urging the EFCC to tell the public what progress has been made, noting the wider impact on school safety and national security.
“The EFCC must tell Nigerians the current status of this probe,”Abegunde said.
“There have been arrests, interrogations, confessions, and even recoveries, yet no formal update has been issued to the public. This level of silence on a matter that directly affects national security and the lives of schoolchildren is unacceptable.”
The group warned that the accusations point to serious problems inside the NSCDC, which is responsible for guarding schools and responding to attacks on pupils and teachers. It also noted that communities in the north continue to face kidnappings while funds intended to protect schools are at the centre of the corruption probe.
“We are witnessing repeated abductions of pupils and teachers,”Abegunde said.
“Communities in the north-west, north-east and north-central are living in fear, yet resources meant to secure these schools are allegedly being looted by the very people entrusted with protecting them.”
The network called for everyone linked to the case, including officers and contractors, to be prosecuted if evidence supports the claims. It also asked the Federal Government to follow the matter through and make the outcome public.
“Anything short of full prosecution will embolden impunity,”Abegunde said.
Despite the serious allegations involving senior NSCDC officials, the network said it is an insult to Nigerians that some groups are already calling for an extension of the Commandant-General’s term.
“Nigeria cannot secure its schools while corruption thrives at the heart of an agency meant to protect them. This case must serve as a deterrent to others,”the network said.
The group further advised the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the National Security Adviser to tighten oversight of the NSCDC, saying stronger checks are needed to stop future breaches in procurement and financial management.