Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is confronting a problem that strikes at its own credibility: misconduct within an institution built to fight financial crime. EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede disclosed at an Abuja press briefing that more than 40 personnel have been dismissed for corruption and financial malpractice over the past two-and-a-half to three years of his leadership, with more than five of those already facing prosecution.
“EFCC personnel cannot effectively fight corruption while engaging in corrupt practices themselves,” Olukoyede said, adding pointedly: “You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can't be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices.”
As part of the shake-up, the commission has renamed its former Department of Internal Affairs as the Department of Ethics and Integrity, and introduced a new gift-declaration policy requiring staff to disclose gifts above a specified value, including from relatives abroad.
The disclosure came alongside Olukoyede's broader 34-month stewardship report, during which the EFCC says it recovered ₦1.23 trillion and $684.48 million in proceeds of crime between October 2023 and July 2026, while receiving 49,673 petitions and securing 10,872 convictions. For the EFCC, the challenge now is proving that internal accountability isn't selective.