The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that the difficulties encountered by Nigerians who participated in the just-concluded auction of forfeited vehicles were caused by a technical glitch.
However, the commission stated that efforts were underway to review the complaints raised by the participants.
The anti-graft agency commission had conducted an electronic auction of 891 forfeited vehicles from January 20 to January 27, 2025.
The auctions, which took place in various locations across the country including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, received backlash from participants who accused the agency of rigging the process.
But according to a statement released by the commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, the glitch occurred due to the overwhelming amount of participants numbering over four million.
Among the concerns received by the commission were the inability of certain individuals to access the auctioneers’ websites, being dismissed from the platforms after entering bids, and exorbitant bid prices, among others.
The statement read; “Relevant Departments of the Commission monitored the exercise and can confirm that there were glitches.
“This observation was communicated to the auctioneers for remedial action.
“The Commission could, however, not directly intervene while the exercise was ongoing because the process had been assigned to duly accredited and licensed auctioneers in line with provisions of Sections 4(a)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime ( Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 and Section 55 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
“The complaints arising from the exercise are rather unfortunate and detracts from the plan of the Commission in settling for online auction which was designed to provide a platform for seamless and transparent participation by millions of Nigerians interested in purchasing the forfeited assets.
“Without making excuses for the auctioneers, it is possible that the sheer number of participants in the exercise (over 4million) 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.
“Those who follow through the process without glitches and emerged winners will certainly be allocated their vehicles.
“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.”
