The head of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has disclosed that more than 40 personnel have been sacked for corruption and financial misconduct under his leadership.
Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), revealed on Monday that several of the dismissed officers are already facing trial, while case files are being finalized for others.
Speaking at a media briefing at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, Olukoyede emphasized that the agency would not shield its own officers from the law.
“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,” Olukoyede said. “More than five of them are being prosecuted at the moment.”
He argued that internal misconduct must carry the same criminal consequences faced by external suspects investigated by the commission.
“If that is what people do in other agencies and I arrest, investigate, and prosecute them, why must I just dismiss you if you do it within our own system and not prosecute you?” he asked, adding that the court cases remain public knowledge.
Internal Reforms
As part of broader efforts to enforce accountability within the agency, Olukoyede announced that the EFCC has renamed its Department of Internal Affairs as the Department of Ethics and Integrity to signal a commitment to “internal cleansing.”
The commission has also introduced a formal gift policy requiring officers to declare assets and gifts above a specified threshold, including items received from relatives living abroad.
Olukoyede noted that the measures are designed to ensure personnel can account for their lifestyle and standard of living.
“You must be sure that your hands are clean,” he said. “You cannot be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices.”
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