The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede has intensified its internal anti-corruption drive, dismissing multiple staff members found culpable of fraudulent activities and professional misconduct as part of ongoing efforts to rid the agency of “bad eggs.”
In one of the most significant house-cleaning exercises in the commission’s recent history, the EFCC announced in early January 2025 that it had dismissed 27 officers from its workforce in 2024.
The dismissals followed recommendations by the agency’s Staff Disciplinary Committee and were ratified by Olukoyede. The officers were removed for various offences bordering on fraudulent activities and misconduct.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale stated at the time: “In its quest to enforce integrity and rid its fold of fraudulent elements, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission dismissed 27 officers from its workforce in 2024.”
Olukoyede reaffirmed the commission’s zero-tolerance policy, stressing that no officer is immune to disciplinary measures and that every allegation against staff would be thoroughly investigated.
This followed earlier actions. In November 2024, Olukoyede publicly confirmed the dismissal of two staff members over corruption allegations.
Speaking at the annual Criminal Law Review Conference in Abuja, he declared: “Just two weeks ago, I had cause to dismiss two staff. You can’t be fighting corruption and your hands are dirty. He who comes to equity must have clean hands.” He vowed not only to dismiss but also to prosecute erring staff, noting that case files were being prepared against some of those removed.
Olukoyede has repeatedly emphasised the need for internal integrity, arguing that anti-graft operatives must maintain clean hands to effectively combat external corruption. In a May 2025 interview, he confirmed approving the dismissal of an additional (undisclosed) number of staff, describing internal cleansing as a priority since assuming office. He noted that the 27 dismissals in 2024 stemmed from both pending and newly discovered cases of misconduct.
The EFCC has also detained officers in connection with related probes, including 10 from the Lagos Zonal Command over missing operational items. The commission has simultaneously warned the public about impersonators and blackmailers using the chairman’s name to extort money from suspects.
These actions form part of broader reforms under Olukoyede’s leadership, which include restructuring departments, upgrading zonal commands, and reinforcing ethical standards. While exact cumulative figures beyond the publicly announced 27 (plus the earlier two) have varied in reporting, the chairman has made clear that the process of weeding out corrupt elements continues and that more dismissals remain possible.
Public commentary, including editorials, has largely welcomed the internal purge as a necessary step to restore credibility to Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption agency, though some have called for greater transparency, including the public naming of dismissed officers and specific details of their offences.
Olukoyede’s stance remains firm: the EFCC cannot effectively fight corruption while harbouring it within its ranks.
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