A Nigerian man has shared a shocking experience after attempting to purchase a Mercedes-Benz on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) auction platform, alleging an extreme manipulative process.
The incident occurred after the EFCC announced plans to auction a number of vehicles seized from fraudsters, commonly referred to as ‘Yahoo boys,’ across the country.
On Monday, 20th January, the EFCC made a public announcement regarding its intention to auction various vehicles that had been confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery & Management) Act, 2022. The commission, in line with the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004 and the Public Procurement Act, 2007, revealed that it would be conducting an e-auction through appointed auctioneers.
The announcement prompted many prospective buyers to check out the auction site, including one user, Chizytelu, who claimed to have bid on a Mercedes-Benz C300 with lot number ADC/BEN/AU/98. Chizytelu posted on social media that he successfully placed a bid of N5,570,001 for the car but was stunned when it suddenly disappeared from the auction site.
“I’ve just seen magic happen right before my eyes,” Chizytelu wrote. “A C300 with lot number ADC/BEN/AU/98 that I bid on and won at N5,570,001 just vanished from the auction site. @officialEFCC una well done.”
The EFCC has yet to provide an official response to the allegations made by Chizytelu. However, the incident has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the commission’s e-auction platform and whether it can be trusted by potential buyers in the future.
As of now, there is no clarification from the EFCC on why the vehicle disappeared from the site after Chizytelu’s winning bid.
