659 Adamawa Teachers Receive N1.05bn as EFCC Completes Funds Recovery
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has returned ₦1.05 billion to 659 disengaged teachers in Adamawa State following an investigation into the handling of funds meant to settle their outstanding entitlements.
The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC handed over a bank draft worth ₦1,054,919,532.61 to the beneficiaries, comprising disengaged Batch D1 staff of the Adamawa State Post-Primary Schools Management Board.
The Acting Zonal Director, ACE I Austine Adache, who spoke at the handover ceremony, said the recovery reflected the Commission’s commitment to justice, accountability and the restitution of recovered funds to their rightful owners.
He maintained that the EFCC would continue to pursue cases of financial misconduct and ensure that victims received appropriate redress under the law.
The beneficiaries, through their counsel, Luka Musa Haruna, SAN, praised the Commission for its dedication and painstaking investigation, expressing confidence in its capacity to tackle economic and financial crimes.
The petitioner, Abraham B. Song, also applauded the EFCC for its intervention, saying the recovery would provide significant relief to the affected teachers, who had endured years of financial hardship while seeking payment of their entitlements.
The case originated from a petition filed by Song in 2024, alleging that the teachers were recruited by the Adamawa State Government in 2012 and worked for 29 months in different secondary schools before their appointments were declared illegal in 2014.
Following the development, the affected workers instituted legal proceedings at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Yola Judicial Division, sitting in Jos.
The court reportedly ordered the state government to pay their outstanding entitlements. However, the alleged failure to honour the judgment resulted in garnishee proceedings against the government’s bank accounts.
The EFCC subsequently commenced an investigation after receiving the petition and intelligence indicating a possible suspicious misapplication of the funds.
To prevent the money from being improperly utilised, the Commission took steps to preserve it while the investigation lasted, eventually facilitating its recovery and return to the affected workers.
The successful handover brings relief to the 659 former teachers after years of pursuing their outstanding payments and highlights the importance of investigations in ensuring that recovered public funds reach their legitimate beneficiaries.
