Reps summon Navy, Police, Customs over management of recovered assets

The House of Representatives has summoned five government agencies to explain how they handle seized, forfeited and recovered assets, as lawmakers begin an investigation into the documentation, custody and disposal of such properties.

The Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) are expected to appear before the House Sub-Committee on Public Assets on November 2, 2026.

The committee’s chairman, Ibe Okwara Osonwa, announced the date during its inaugural meeting in Abuja, saying the investigation would establish a reliable record of assets held or managed by government institutions.

The probe is expected to examine how recovered properties are recorded, where they are kept, which agencies have custody of them and what happens to them after seizure or forfeiture.

Osonwa said concerns about transparency and coordination among government agencies had persisted across successive administrations, particularly in the handling of assets recovered through anti-corruption investigations, criminal proceedings and other enforcement operations.

He warned that weaknesses in the process could undermine public confidence in government institutions and Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.

The sub-committee has been mandated to conduct a comprehensive audit of seized, forfeited and recovered assets under the control of relevant public institutions.

The exercise will seek to establish the status and ownership of the properties, identify the agencies responsible for their management and determine how they are eventually disposed of, transferred or put to public use.

A key proposal is the creation of a unified digital registry to bring recovered-asset records into a central database. The system is expected to improve information-sharing among agencies, reduce duplication and make it easier to track assets from the point of seizure to their eventual disposal.

The committee also plans to review existing accountability mechanisms and recommend changes to strengthen compliance with relevant laws and improve asset-management procedures.

Osonwa said the investigation should help close gaps in the system and ensure that properties recovered through lawful processes are managed responsibly and in the public interest.

The five agencies are expected to provide details of their respective roles in asset seizure, recovery, custody and management, alongside the procedures they use to document and account for the properties.

The summons followed a motion moved by Omosede Igbinedion and supported by other members of the sub-committee.

The agencies’ appearance on November 2 will form part of the committee’s effort to establish a verifiable inventory of recovered assets and recommend measures to improve oversight of their management.