Corruption: EFCC Dismisses 40+, Prosecutes Others

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, says more than 40 staff members of the commission have been dismissed for corruption and financial malpractice in the last three years.

Olukoyede disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a media interactive session marking his three-year stewardship at the EFCC headquarters.

He also revealed that about five EFCC staff members are currently facing prosecution over alleged corrupt practices.

“In the past two and a half to three years of my service, I have asked them to dismiss over 40 staff on account of corruption and financial malpractice. More than five of them are being prosecuted at the moment,” he said.

The EFCC chairman explained that while some of the affected personnel are already being prosecuted, case files involving others are being prepared for prosecution.

“You can follow those cases in court; they are public knowledge,” he said.

Olukoyede questioned why EFCC officials found guilty of corrupt practices should only be dismissed when the commission investigates and prosecutes people from other agencies for similar offences.

He said the disciplinary measures were part of efforts to ensure that EFCC personnel were subjected to the same accountability standards the agency demands from other Nigerians.

“You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can’t be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices,” he said.

The chairman also announced the renaming of the commission’s former Internal Affairs Department to the Department of Ethics and Integrity as part of efforts aimed at promoting “internal cleansing.”

He disclosed that the commission had introduced a gift policy to enhance transparency and prevent conflicts of interest.

According to him, EFCC personnel will be required to declare gifts above a specified value, including gifts received from friends and relatives both within Nigeria and abroad.

“The commission will also define the categories of gifts personnel can accept and require officers to account for their sources of income and standard of living,” he added.

Olukoyede called for stronger institutional reforms and policy changes to tackle corruption, stressing that law enforcement alone could not win the fight.

“The most effective system that fights financial crime is not law enforcement. It is the policy regime, institutional reforms that close leakages,” he said.

He also urged the media and civil society organisations to return to their watchdog roles in the fight against corruption.