No fewer than 26 bidders have emerged winners of different properties on the third day of the ongoing sale of forfeited real estate comprising apartments and plots of land by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.

At the session on Wednesday, a total of 39 properties in Lot 5, located in different parts of the Federal Capital Territory, were offered for sale through a competitive bidding process.

At the end of the exercise, a total of 26 bids were successful, while 13 properties not taken either for non-compliance with the guidelines or the highest bid falling short of the reserve price, or due to a tie as was the case in respect of the property listed as number 33 in the Lot, were re-opened to fresh bids until Monday when the bids will be opened.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, other properties affected by the fresh bid offer were listed as numbers: 1, 3, 4,5,6,10,15, 18,29,30,31, and 34 in Lot 5.

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The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who witnessed the exercise, expressed excitement at the event and thanked the bidders for their cooperation.

“The process we are adopting is what is practiced across the world. We had valuers who valued the properties and we already know the worth of each property and we expect to sell to the highest bidder who exceeds our reserve price because we need to raise money for the Federal Government to execute and complete some of the major infrastructure projects across the country.

“We got feedback from people who are asking why we are not doing it online so that more people can participate. We have tried all of that and it is now left for us to use discretion to work with methods that will help the process to be more transparent for every Nigerian to see,” Bawa said.

One of the bid winners, Chetanna Chukwudo, commended the anti-graft agency for the exercise, saying: “I am happy today because it feels good to be a winner, nobody wants to lose. The process was thorough and transparent but in the end we won. I want to say well done to the organizers.”

The Star