EFCC Transfers ₦279M To Wole Soyinka Centre, Issues Strong Warning Against Misuse

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially handed over ₦279 million recovered from a fraudulent contract to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, formerly known as the National Theatre, in Lagos.

The handover ceremony took place on Friday at the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 office in Ikoyi. According to a statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the recovery followed investigations into a contract awarded for projects at the National Theatre.

The Commission revealed that it received a petition in 2009 from Kabir Yusuf, a former General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the National Theatre, against Benjamin Apugo and others over alleged irregularities in the award and execution of a contract worth ₦299,707,828. The contract, awarded through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation to Techno Exportstroy Nig. Limited, covered the construction of five gates, sand filling, and reclamation works at the National Theatre complex.

Investigations indicated that the then Acting General Manager, Yusuf Ahmed Atai, authorised payments exceeding the approved contract sum, releasing ₦334,229,794.24 to the contractor—over ₦34 million more than the original contract. Further findings showed that the contractor executed work valued at only ₦55,910,744, leaving an unexecuted balance of ₦243,799,132.25, and failed to refund the excess payment.

Following the conclusion of investigations, the suspect was arraigned in court, and the EFCC recovered ₦279 million during the trial.

Representing EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede at the ceremony, Assistant Commander Bawa Usman Kaltungo reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to returning recovered public funds to their rightful owners and cautioned the management of the cultural centre to ensure the money is used solely for its intended purpose. “We will be monitoring the progress of work and how the funds are utilised,” he said.

Receiving the funds, Jatto Kabiru, Head of Finance and Accounts at the centre, pledged to use the recovered money judiciously. He commended the EFCC for its effective recovery efforts, describing the Commission as “one of Nigeria’s most reliable law enforcement agencies.”

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts was renamed in July 2024 by President Bola Tinubu to honour the Nobel Laureate. The facility’s renovation was funded and supervised by the Central Bank of Nigeria in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, while the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy provided policy direction and oversight for its transformation into a hub for Nigeria’s creative industry.