The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has pledged to review complaints related to its recent public auction of forfeited vehicles after reports of unsatisfactory experiences by some participants.

The commission acknowledged complaints ranging from issues with website accessibility, participants being shut out after submitting bids, and reports of inflated bid prices.

In addressing the situation, EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Thursday, said, “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.”

He noted that the commission had monitored the exercise, which took place between January 20 and 27, 2025, and confirmed that some glitches occurred.

Oyewale added that issues were communicated to the accredited auctioneers overseeing the process 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.

“Among the complaints received by the commission were the inability of some citizens to access the websites of the auctioneers, being shut out from the platforms after submitting bids and outrageous bid prices, among others,” he said.

The EFCC clarified that while it was involved in monitoring, it could not directly intervene in the auction due to its assignment to licensed auctioneers in compliance with “Sections 4(a)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime ( Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 and Section 55 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.”

The commission assured the public that it is awaiting a report from the auctioneers and will review legitimate complaints to ensure fairness.

He stated, “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.

“The commission is currently awaiting the report of the auctioneers and assures that genuine complaints by members of the public will be reviewed to ensure that no one is short-changed in the exercise.”

He said, “Successful bidders who did not experience issues will receive their vehicles as scheduled.

“The commission’s only interest in the public auction is to ensure that the assets are disposed of in the most transparent manner and the nation gets value for the assets. This cannot be compromised under any circumstance.”

The auction was organised by accredited auctioneers on behalf of the EFCC as part of efforts to dispose of assets recovered in investigations into corruption, money laundering and cybercrime.

However, the exercise was marred by complaints from several bidders, who took to social media to express dissatisfaction with the process.

Issues included being locked out of the auction websites after submitting bids, experiencing glitches during the auction, and reports of outrageously high bids that left many questioning the fairness of the exercise.

The Edo State Governorship Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City on Saturday admitted more documents from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

According to report PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, are challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The tribunal had on Friday, January 17, 2025 provisionally admitted 1004 documents from the PDP and Ighodalo as exhibits.

During the continuation of the hearing at the weekend, the petitioners tendered more documentary evidence to support the petitions.

The additional documents tendered by Ken Mozia, SAN, counsel to the petitioners are 55 Certified True Copies, CTC, of polling Units Voters registers used in the election and CTC of 56 accreditation figures of extracts from INEC’s Bimodal Voters Accreditation Systems Machines, BVAS.

Also tendered are 72 Certified True Copies of extracts of accreditation figures from the BVAS devices, 75 Certified True Copies of INEC’s Results Viewing (IREV) Containing Form EC8A and 70 CTCs’ of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets, containing Form EC25B.

The petitioners further tendered CTC of 66 copies of polling Units Voters Registers and 125 copies of Form EC8A from IREV directly certified by INEC, 101 copies of Form EC8A, CTC of BVAS of Polling Unit reports as well as certificate of compliance by INEC.

Others are CTC of certificate of compliance, with BVAS machines’ reports in respect of the 133 Polling Units earlier tendered as exhibit in the petitions.

Mozia said, “My Lords, we wish to tender CTC of Copy of serial numbers BVAS machines’ deployed to 133 Polling Units and Certificate of Compliance.”

However, counsel to the respondents, Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, Offiong Offiong, SAN, and Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, raised objections to the admissibility of the documents.

They however reserved reasons for the objections to the admissibility of the petitioners’ documents to the final written address stage.

While counsel to the 1st Respondent, INEC, Aliyu did not object to the admission of certificate of compliance with BVAS machines used in 133 polling units, counsel to the 2nd and 3rd respondents, Governor Monday Okpebholo and APC, Offiong and Orbih objected and reserved reasons to the final addresses.

According to report PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, are praying the court to declare them winner of the election, claiming that they scored the highest valid votes cast in the election.

The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City on Friday admitted 1004 documents tendered before it by Dr Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the election.

According to report the candidate and his party are challenging the conduct of the election as well as the declaration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Monday Okpebholo as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Ken Mozia, counsel to the petitioner, tendered the documents at the resume hearing of the petition.

The 1004 documents tendered are all admitted as exhibits by the three-man tribunal chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi.

The documents included the Certified True Copies (CTC) of INEC declaration of results forms EC8A-E and Local Government Areas summary of results used for the conduct of the September 21, 2024 Governorship Election in the State.

Also tendered are Certified True Copies of Form EC8Cs, covering the 18 Local Government Areas in the state.

Certified True Copies, CTC of Forms EC8B (Wards Results Sheets) used for the conduct of the election in the 192 Wards in the state were also tendered in support of the petitioners cases.

The petitioners further tendered in evidence 320 Certified True Copies of Form EC8A documents (polling Units results sheets),

Others tendered by the petitioners are 318 CTCs of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets, each containing Form EC25D and 58 CTCs of Forms EC8A (IREV).

At the tendering of the documents, Mozia said the verification of the over 1004 documents were duly done in the presence of the lawyers of the parties and the tribunal Registrar.

Despite, the objection to the admissibility of the documents by respondents counsel which include Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and VC Dewigwe, the tribunal admitted them as exhibits.

The respondents counsel said they would be giving reasons for the objections to the petitioners’ CTC documents at the final address of the petition.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led tribunal, however, provisionally admitted all the documents tendered in evidence and marked them as exhibits.

“Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage”, said Justice Kpochi

The tribunal, however, adjourned to Saturday, January 18, 2025 for continuation of hearing as the petitioners are expected to tender more documents in support of their petitions.

DAILY POST reported that with the admission of the documentary evidence the Petitioners Dr. Ighodalo and PDP would proceed to lead oral evidence in support of the petitions.