Nigeria: Anti-Graft Agency Sacks 40 Staff Members Over Corruption

What the report says

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it has dismissed more than 40 staff members over the past two and a half years for alleged corruption and financial misconduct, according to a Daily Trust report carried by AllAfrica. EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede made the disclosure in Abuja during a meeting with media executives and other journalists, presenting the action as part of an effort to protect the agency’s credibility while it investigates corruption cases.

Olukoyede said more than five of the affected personnel are already facing prosecution, while case files for others are being prepared. He also said the commission has introduced internal controls aimed at tightening ethics rules for staff, including a gift policy and new asset-declaration requirements for items above a certain value. As part of that push, the agency renamed its former Department of Internal Affairs as the Department of Ethics and Integrity.

The remarks come as the EFCC continues to highlight its wider enforcement record. Olukoyede said the agency’s work has helped recover large sums for federal and state authorities, including tax-related recoveries and other funds. In broader terms, anti-graft agencies often face pressure to demonstrate integrity inside their own ranks, since internal discipline can affect public confidence in enforcement efforts.