President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its performance in combating economic and financial crimes, saying the agency has justified the confidence reposed in it by his administration.
Tinubu gave the commendation on Friday, October 2, 2026, in Awka, Anambra State, at the commissioning of a new Zonal Directorate of the EFCC serving the South-East.
Represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the President said the Commission’s achievements in convictions, asset recoveries and institutional reforms provided evidence of its progress in the fight against corruption.
“Supporting the EFCC is not particularly difficult. The agency has consistently demonstrated that the confidence reposed on it is well founded. Without mincing words, the evidential proof of the EFCC’s success speaks loudly in convictions secured, assets and properties recovered,” Tinubu said.
He said the Commission’s activities aligned with key priorities of his administration under the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly economic reform, inclusive growth and good governance.
“When we came in three years ago, I highlighted nine major focal areas of my administration. Two of which are reforming the economy for sustained and inclusive growth and promotion of good governance. The anti-graft agency complements this agenda as they are focused on accountability and transparency and appropriate deployment of resources,” he said.
Speaking at the event, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to preventive measures alongside enforcement in the fight against corruption and other economic and financial crimes.
Olukoyede said the new directorate would focus on making corrupt practices more difficult by identifying and blocking avenues through which they could occur.
“This new Directorate will not only enforce the law professionally and courageously, it will be high on corruption prevention. It will engage government institutions, businesses, financial institutions, professional bodies, schools, markets, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, religious bodies and communities,” he said.
According to him, the directorate would educate stakeholders, build partnerships and mobilise communities to take ownership of the fight against corruption.
The EFCC chairman said the Commission had recorded significant progress in the execution of its mandate over the past 34 months.
He disclosed that between October 2023 and July 2026, the Commission received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions, representing a conviction-to-filing ratio of 75.1 per cent.
Olukoyede added that the Commission recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 filings in the first half of 2026 alone.
He further disclosed that the EFCC recovered N1.233 trillion, $684.48 million, £373,905.78 and €9.34 million during the period, in addition to recoveries in other currencies.
The EFCC chairman attributed part of the Commission’s progress to institutional reforms designed to strengthen its operations and improve its law-enforcement processes.
He listed the reforms to include new guidelines on arrest and bail, a review of sting operations, establishment of the Department of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, the Security Department, the Immigration and Visa Section and the Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre.
Olukoyede also urged residents of Anambra and the wider South-East to embrace responsible whistleblowing, saying the Commission had established channels through which members of the public could submit petitions and provide information on suspected wrongdoing.
He said the EFCC’s Eagle Eye application allows citizens to provide information on suspected offences while making the disclosure of informants’ personal details optional.
“However, whistleblowing must be responsible and based on facts. It must not become an instrument for settling scores,” he cautioned.
The EFCC chairman said the establishment of the new zonal directorate in Awka was aimed at bringing the Commission closer to economic activities and communities in Anambra and Imo states.
He described the two states as centres of enterprise, innovation and commerce whose legitimate economic activities required protection from fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, investment fraud, diversion of public resources and other financial crimes.
“Therefore, our coming to Awka is beyond geographical expansion. It is about taking the mandate of the EFCC closer to the people and closer to the economic activities we are meant to protect,” he said.
Governors Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, in separate remarks, expressed support for the Commission and commended its activities and management under Olukoyede.
They pledged continued cooperation with the EFCC as the new zonal directorate begins operations in the region.
The commissioning attracted members of the National Assembly, civil society organisations, community leaders, students, media practitioners and other distinguished Nigerians.
