By Kehinde Osifisan
The article titled “Worries as EFCC recovers N1tr stolen cash, assets from politicians, others” authored by Tope Templer in the Guardian of March 10, 2025 makes an interesting reading.
After reading and digesting the report, one can heave a sigh of relief that it was “special report” that is not the position of the cherished Guardian newspaper.
After series of rigmaroles, the writer concluded by quoting “another human rights activist and lawyer,”Inibehe Effiong: “As of today, the EFCC is suffering acute trust deficit. If you submit a petition and they don’t attend to it or you suspect the officials have collected money, there should be a channel to make a complaint so that the confidence-building process can start.
“This is an agency established by former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 primarily to fight corruption which has become endemic in our country. The primary reason for establishing the EFCC was not to fight internet fraudsters, but because internet fraud has become such a pervasive thing, it is expected that the commission will tackle it head-on. However, the EFCC needs to change its modus operandi if it wants public support.
“My impression of the commission has changed in recent years. I will not attack their legitimate efforts, but at the same time, I’m not going to pretend that they are on track. The Commission has a corruption problem, a partisanship problem, a nepotism problem, and a professionalism problem. Their modus operandi has not inspired public confidence. The way they pamper politicians is at variance with the way they handle other cases.”
The joy is that the said “activist”, and we have quite many of them, was merely expressing his utmost unfair, personalised and biased opinion against the EFCC. One will then wonder which EFCC the activist was talking about. The anti-corruption body under the hardworking Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who had made the greatest recoveries and seizures in the history of the Commission? The EFCC that has received global endorsements from international anti-corruption agencies, governmental and non-governmental bodies? The EFCC that foreign ambassadors from US, UK, Canada and other European countries are now quick to visit and seek collaboration with? Please let’s give it to Olukoyede and the EFCC.
As Tony Egbulefu wrote in the Premium Times of November 24,2024: “ The prime target of the sustained dissemination of misconceptions and often outright falsehood against the EFCC is clearly to diminish the work of the Commission and erode public trust in it. Take for instance the issue of cyber crime, which takes root from advance fee fraud, characterised globally as “Nigerian Crime”, the country in 2022 alone lost $500 million to this crime category. No responsible organisation, charged with fighting financial crimes would sit idly by and watch the integrity of the country’s institutions get compromised and the youths drift inexorably towards becoming a tribe of rogues.”
On the dangers of demonizing the EFCC, Sola Oyeyipo, on September 10, 2024 wrote: “Thus, whether Nigerians love to hate the EFCC or not; or do not trust it because of its chequered past, they cannot turn a blind eye to its anti-graft efforts and activities.
“There will always be pushback from corrupt elements. It is Nigerians’ responsibility, not just the agency’s, to see through the veneer of untruths and blackmail and come together to fight a common existential enemy.”
There is no doubt that the EFCC in the last one year or so, have touched on the sore toes of hitherto sacred cows; politically exposed people; meaning push backs are inevitable.
There is also cases of corruption within the agency and the best and most commendable action was the internal cleansing by Olukoyede who exposed and sacked scores of the agency’s officers for fraud. He did not sweep it under the rug.
EFCC may not be where we all expect it to be today, but it certainly, and far away from where it used to be. Let us give it to Olukoyede and his team please.
Kehinde Osifisan, Programme Cordinator at Journalists Against Corruption (JAC), Abuja sent this via osifisankehinde269@gmail.com
