Nigerian anticorruption agency sacks 40 staff over misconduct allegations

What the report says

Nigerian anticorruption authorities have dismissed more than 40 employees over alleged corruption and financial misconduct, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on comments from EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede. The firings were disclosed at an event in Abuja on Monday, where Olukoyede said the action covered roughly the past two and a half to three years of his tenure.

The agency involved is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s main law enforcement body for financial crimes such as fraud, money laundering and corruption. Al Jazeera reported that Nigerian media outlets said five of the dismissed staff members are facing prosecution, while cases are being prepared against others.

Olukoyede used the briefing to stress that the commission must maintain internal integrity while pursuing public corruption cases. He also said the EFCC had recovered 1.23 trillion naira, or about $923 million, and reported a 75 percent conviction rate. The agency said that from October 2023 to July 2026 it received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 court cases and secured 10,872 convictions.

The development matters because it highlights both the EFCC’s anti-graft role and the challenge of misconduct within the agency itself. More broadly, it reflects continuing scrutiny of corruption enforcement in Nigeria, where public confidence in institutions is closely tied to how consistently they are seen to apply the law.