President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its performance in combating economic and financial crimes and corruption in Nigeria.
Tinubu gave the commendation on Friday, October 2, 2026, in Awka, Anambra State, during the commissioning of a new Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
Represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the President said the commission had justified the confidence reposed in it through its convictions, asset recoveries and other achievements.
He said, “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 the commission’s activities aligned with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on economic reforms, good governance, accountability and transparency.
Speaking at the event, EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to preventing economic and financial crimes by blocking avenues through which corrupt practices could occur.
Olukoyede said the new zonal directorate would combine law enforcement with corruption prevention by engaging government institutions, businesses, financial institutions, professional bodies, schools, markets, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, religious bodies and communities.
According to him, between October 2023 and July 2026, the EFCC received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions.
He added that the commission recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 filings in the first half of 2026 alone.
Olukoyede also disclosed that the EFCC recovered N1.233 trillion, $684.48 million, £373,905.78 and €9.34 million, alongside recoveries in other currencies during the period under review.
The EFCC chairman highlighted institutional reforms, including new guidelines on arrest and bail, a review of sting operations, and the establishment of the Department of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, Security Department, Immigration and Visa Section and Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre.
He also urged residents of Anambra and Imo states to engage responsibly in whistleblowing, stressing that allegations must be based on facts and should not be used as a tool for settling personal scores.
Olukoyede said the establishment of the Awka directorate was aimed at bringing the EFCC closer to the people and protecting the region’s economic activities from fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, investment fraud and diversion of public resources.
Governors Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and Hope Uzodinma of Imo State welcomed the establishment of the new directorate and pledged their support for the commission.
The commissioning ceremony attracted members of the National Assembly, civil society organisations, community leaders, students, media practitioners and other dignitaries.
