EFCC Sacks Over 40 Staff For Corruption, Prosecutes 5 Others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dismissed more than 40 staff members for corruption and financial malpractice in the last three years, Chairman Ola Olukoyede disclosed on Monday in Abuja. Speaking during a media briefing to mark his three years in office, Olukoyede said the sackings were part of efforts to ensure EFCC personnel are held to the same standards they demand from Nigerians.“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,” he said. He added: “You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can’t be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices”.
Olukoyede revealed that more than 5 of the dismissed officers are currently facing prosecution, while case files for others are being prepared.”You can follow those cases in court; they are public knowledge,” he stated. He questioned why the agency should only dismiss staff and not prosecute them when it arrests and prosecutes members of the public for the same offences.
As part of “internal cleansing,” the EFCC has Renamed the Department of Internal Affairs to department of Ethics and Integrity, introduced a gift policy requiring staff to declare assets and gifts above a specified value, including those from relatives abroad.
EFCC Performance Figures 2023-2026
Olukoyede also gave updates on the commission’s work between October 2023 and July 2026:
– Recoveries: ₦1.23 trillion ($923m)
– Petitions received: 49,673
– Cases investigated: 39,615
– Cases filed in court: 14,476
– Convictions secured: 10,872 – a 75% conviction rate
– H1 2026 alone: 1,370 convictions from 1,889 filings.
The dismissals signal EFCC’s push to build credibility. With officers having access to sensitive financial data and powers to freeze accounts, Olukoyede said internal accountability is key to public trust.