Olukoyede to local government chairmen: Accountability must reach grassroots

Crime Diary

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has assured local government council chairmen and chairmen of traditional rulers’ councils across the country that anti-corruption enforcement will extend to the grassroots to ensure development reaches local communities.

Olukoyede stated this on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the maiden Annual National Conference of Local Government Council Chairmen and Traditional Rulers’ Councils in Abuja.

According to him, the EFCC’s commitment to accountability extends beyond the federal level, with greater attention to transparency at the sub-national tier.

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He said as more resources flow to local governments, the measure of success would be whether the funds translate into tangible improvements in the lives of people in grassroots communities.

Olukoyede said the EFCC’s work supports the pillars of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and pledged that accountability efforts would extend to the sub-national level.

“The EFCC is equally committed to transparency and accountability at the sub-national level and would want to see the improved resources flow to the third tier of government translate into improvement in the quality of lives of the grassroots population,” he said.

Represented by the Director of the Public Affairs Department, Commander of the EFCC, CE Wilson Uwujaren, Olukoyede highlighted the conversion of recovered proceeds of crime into public investment.

He said the Federal Government had directed ₦50 billion each from recovered funds to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP), with further funding subsequently approved.

He also cited the conversion of the forfeited former NOK University in Kaduna State into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, which he said had enrolled 1,909 students by December 2025.

On national security, Olukoyede said economic crime and security threats could no longer be treated as separate concerns.

He identified the financing of terrorist organisations, illegal mining, cross-border cybercrime and money laundering as serious security issues.

The EFCC chairman disclosed that the commission’s specialised enforcement portfolio had recorded 920 cases and 212 convictions, with further investigations and prosecutions ongoing in areas including money laundering, terrorist financing, illegal mining and virtual-assets fraud.

He added that almost 60 per cent of the commission’s processes and operations had been digitalised, alongside continued investment in its Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre and investigative technology.

Olukoyede said the measures were aimed at protecting Nigeria’s growing digital economy from fraud and abuse.

“We will investigate professionally, prosecute on the strength of evidence and respect the constitutional role of the courts in determining guilt or innocence. No title should place anyone outside the reach of the law, but neither should the fight against corruption be separated from due process,” he said.

Olukoyede also recalled that between October 2023 and the period covered by the commission’s recent stewardship account, the EFCC recorded recoveries exceeding ₦1.233 trillion.

He added that the recoveries included about $684.48 million, £373,905.78 and €9.34 million in other currencies.

According to him, roughly two-thirds of the naira recovered was returned to ministries, departments and agencies, state revenue services, companies and individuals.

He said federal and state tax recoveries alone amounted to about ₦288.1 billion.