The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that more than five staff members of the anti-corruption agency are currently facing prosecution for corruption and financial malpractice, with additional case files being prepared.
Olukoyede made the disclosure in a video shared on his official social media page on Monday, September 7, 2026. The video, which has since trended online, shows the EFCC boss detailing the commission's internal reform efforts.
Gift and Hospitality Policy Introduced
Olukoyede said he inherited a troubling picture when he resumed office, with reports of operatives living in upscale Maitama properties and driving Range Rovers. When asked to account for such assets, some staff claimed the vehicles and houses were gifts from relatives abroad.
That pattern of unverifiable “gifts” prompted the commission to introduce a formal Gift and Hospitality Policy. Under the policy, any asset above a set threshold must be declared and officially registered. The commission also drew a clear line between traditional gifts that staff may accept and those they may not.
Over 40 Staff Dismissed in Under Three Years
As part of a broader internal reform effort, the EFCC renamed its Department of Internal Affairs the Department of Ethics and Integrity, a move Olukoyede described as reflecting the unit's true function of internal cleansing.
He said more than 40 staff have been dismissed for corruption and financial malpractice in under three years, and noted that the prosecutions already underway are being handled in open court, meaning members of the public can follow the proceedings directly.
Why Olukoyede Says He Went Further Than Dismissal
Olukoyede pushed back against any suggestion that EFCC staff caught in wrongdoing should face only internal discipline. He questioned how it would be justifiable to prosecute individuals in other ministries, departments, and agencies while merely dismissing those within his own commission for the same conduct.
“If I investigate and prosecute people in other MDAs for this, why would I merely dismiss my own?” he said.
The video of Olukoyede's statement was shared on X (formerly Twitter), and the full statement is available for public viewing. The EFCC's internal reform measures, including the dismissals and prosecutions, are part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the commission's credibility and effectiveness in fighting corruption in Nigeria.
