Reps summon Navy, Police, Customs, others over recovered assets

The House of Representatives has summoned five government agencies to appear before its Sub-Committee on Public Assets on 2 November as part of an investigation into how seized, forfeited, and recovered assets are managed in Nigeria.

The agencies are the Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The committee is seeking to establish a comprehensive record of recovered assets held by government institutions, develop a unified digital registry and identify gaps in the systems for documenting, managing and disposing of such properties.

The chairman of the sub-committee, Ibe Osonwa, who represents Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, announced the date during the panel’s inaugural meeting in Abuja.

Mr Osonwa said the investigation was necessary amid longstanding concerns about transparency, coordination among government agencies, and accountability in handling assets recovered through law enforcement operations and other statutory processes.

“Across various administrations, questions have persisted regarding transparency, coordination, and the integrity of processes governing assets seized or forfeited through anti-corruption efforts, criminal justice actions, and administrative enforcement,” he said.

The lawmaker said the concerns went beyond administrative shortcomings, warning that the handling of recovered assets had implications for public trust, institutional credibility and the effectiveness of Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.

“These concerns are not merely technical; they strike at the heart of public trust, institutional credibility, and the effectiveness of Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture,” he added.

According to him, the sub-committee has been mandated to conduct a comprehensive audit to establish an accurate, verifiable record of assets seized, forfeited, or recovered and held, controlled, or managed by relevant government institutions.

The exercise is expected to establish the status of the assets, clarify their custody and management, and determine how they are eventually disposed of or deployed for public use.

Mr Osonwa identified the proposed unified digital registry as a key component of the investigation, explaining that it would centralise asset records, improve information-sharing among agencies and address inconsistencies and duplication in existing documentation.

The registry would also enable relevant institutions to track assets from seizure or forfeiture through custody, management and eventual disposal or transfer.

The committee plans to review existing accountability mechanisms and recommend reforms to align asset management practices with applicable laws and international best practices.

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“The sub-committee has the opportunity to recommend reforms that will close long-standing loopholes, modernise asset management systems, and reinforce Nigeria’s commitment to transparency and responsible stewardship,” Mr Osonwa said.

He added that the ultimate objective was to ensure that assets recovered through lawful processes were managed responsibly and used in ways that benefit the public.

“Our work can help ensure that recovered assets truly serve the public interest—whether through restitution, reinvestment, or national development priorities,” he said.

The chairman formally announced 2 November as the date for the agencies to appear following a motion moved by Omosede Igbinedion and supported by other members of the sub-committee.

“We expect all these agencies: Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police and NMDPRA, and see them here on the 2nd of November,” he said.

The agencies are expected to provide information on their respective roles in the seizure, recovery, custody and management of assets, as well as the procedures they use to document and account for such properties.

Mr Osonwa urged sub-committee members to approach the assignment with diligence, objectivity, and a strong sense of national responsibility.

He expressed confidence that the investigation would produce recommendations to strengthen transparency, improve coordination among government institutions and promote accountability in the management of recovered assets.