EFCC Dismissed Over 40 Staff for Corruption Under Olukoyede

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says more than 40 of its personnel have been dismissed for corruption and financial malpractice since Ola Olukoyede assumed office as chairman of the anti-graft agency.

The commission disclosed this in a statement shared on its official X account on September 8, quoting remarks by Olukoyede on the measures introduced to strengthen internal accountability at the agency.

According to the EFCC chairman, more than five of the dismissed personnel are already facing prosecution, while additional case files are being prepared against others.

The development was linked to Olukoyede's broader effort to ensure that EFCC personnel are subjected to the same accountability standards the commission applies when investigating corruption and financial crimes in other government institutions.

Olukoyede also recounted what he described as reports he encountered when he assumed office involving some EFCC operatives allegedly living lavish lifestyles, including driving Range Rover vehicles and residing in Maitama, Abuja.

He said the commission questioned the source of the assets and challenged explanations that some expensive properties or vehicles were gifts from relatives abroad to be backed by evidence.

“When I resumed, the reports were there: operatives driving Range Rovers, living in Maitama,” Olukoyede said, according to the statement. He added that the commission subsequently introduced a Gift and Hospitality Policy requiring assets above a specified threshold to be declared and registered.

The chairman also said the former Department of Internal Affairs had been renamed the Department of Ethics and Integrity, reflecting the commission's emphasis on what he described as “internal cleansing.”

“If I investigate and prosecute people in other MDAs for this, why would I merely dismiss my own?” Olukoyede asked.

The disclosure comes as the EFCC continues to highlight its enforcement record under Olukoyede. The commission recently reported that it recovered about ₦1.23 trillion, alongside hundreds of millions of dollars and other foreign currencies, and secured 10,872 convictions during the first 34 months of his tenure.

The EFCC has also said it investigated tens of thousands of petitions and filed more than 14,000 cases in court between October 2023 and July 2026, reflecting the scale of its operations during the period.

Olukoyede's latest remarks therefore place internal discipline alongside arrests, prosecutions and asset recovery as part of his administration's approach to reforming the commission.