Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has fired more than 40 of its own personnel for corruption and financial malpractice over the past three years, a move that signals a significant internal cleansing under the leadership of its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede. The Chairman disclosed this on Monday, August 31, 2026, during a briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, where he detailed the anti-graft agency's efforts to enforce accountability within its own ranks.
Olukoyede revealed that the dismissals were carried out over the past two and a half to three years of his service, and that more than five of the dismissed officers are currently being prosecuted. “In the past two and a half years or three years of my service, I’ve 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 stated. He further noted that case files for others are being prepared for prosecution, and he encouraged the public to follow the cases in court, describing them as public knowledge.
The EFCC chairman emphasised that the commission would not shield its own personnel from prosecution when they are found guilty of the same corrupt practices it investigates among the public. “Because if that is what people do in other agencies and I arrest them, I investigate them, I prosecute them, why must I just dismiss you if you do it within our own system and I’m not prosecuting you?” he asked. In a clear message to his officers, Olukoyede stressed that integrity must be non-negotiable for those fighting corruption. “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.
As part of its internal reforms, the EFCC has renamed its former Department of Internal Affairs to the Department of Ethics and Integrity to reflect its commitment to “internal cleansing”. The commission has also introduced a new gift policy to strengthen transparency and accountability among its officers. Staff will be required to declare assets above a specified threshold, including gifts received from relatives abroad. The commission will define the categories of gifts personnel can accept, ensuring that officers can account for their means of livelihood and standard of living.
Olukoyede also used the opportunity to call for broader institutional reforms, arguing that law enforcement alone cannot win the war against corruption. “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 urged the media and civil society to return to their watchdog roles, emphasising that sustainable change requires systemic fixes beyond just prosecutions. The sack of over 40 personnel marks one of the most aggressive internal purges in the EFCC's history, sending a clear message that the commission is determined to uphold its mandate by first cleaning its own house.
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