Admin I Monday, August 31, 2026
ABUJA — In a decisive move to purge the country’s premier anti-graft agency of compromise and internal decay, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed over 40 of its staff members for corruption and financial malpractice over the past three years.
The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, made this disclosure on Monday during a comprehensive press briefing held at the commission’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, where he outlined the operational achievements and institutional reforms recorded under his leadership.
Olukoyede revealed that the agency is not stopping at administrative disengagement; it has also taken legal action against several of the dismissed officers to ensure that public trust is not compromised.
”In the past two and a half to three years of my service, I have directed the dismissal of over 40 staff on account of corruption and financial malpractice. More than five of them are being prosecuted in court at the moment, while case files for others are being finalized,” Olukoyede stated.
Addressing the rationale behind prosecuting its own personnel, the EFCC boss stressed that the commission will not apply double standards when dealing with internal misconduct.
”He who goes to equity must go with clean hands. If we arrest, investigate, and prosecute officers in other government agencies for financial crimes, why should we merely dismiss our own officers when they commit the same offenses within our system?
They must face the full wrath of the law, and these court cases are matters of public record,” he added.
Structural Integrity and New Gift Policy
To prevent institutional compromise, Olukoyede announced major structural realignments within the agency.
The former Department of Internal Affairs has been officially renamed the Department of Ethics and Integrity. According to him, this transition signals a strategic pivot toward proactive internal monitoring, continuous ethical orientation, and system-wide transparency.
Furthermore, the EFCC has instituted a strict internal Gift and Asset Policy governing all personnel. Under the new regulations, staff members are required to declare gifts and assets above a designated threshold, including financial support or items sent by family members residing abroad.
The framework is designed to verify whether an officer’s lifestyle aligns strictly with their legitimate earnings and prevent illicit benefits from masquerading as personal gifts.
The dismissal of corrupt operatives highlights a long-standing challenge within Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies: policing the police. Over the years, the EFCC has faced public scrutiny over allegations of compromise, extortion, and operational indiscipline among lower and mid-level operatives handling high-profile financial crime investigations.
In recent years, institutional accountability has become a central focus for the leadership of anti-graft bodies in Nigeria. Upon assuming office in October 2023, Olukoyede pledged zero tolerance for internal corruption, emphasizing that an institution tasked with enforcing accountability across public and private sectors must maintain an unblemished standard of integrity.
Alongside internal disciplinary actions, the EFCC’s broader anti-corruption drive under Olukoyede has yielded significant recoveries, including over N1.23 trillion and $684.48 million in proceeds of crime between October 2023 and mid-2026, alongside securing thousands of convictions and asset forfeiture orders.
The latest disciplinary actions reaffirm the commission’s resolve that no officer—regardless of rank or role—is immune to investigation and prosecution if found violating the core mandates of the EFCC.
