Olukoyede to Local Govt Chairmen: Accountability Must Reach Grassroots
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has assured local government council chairmen and chairmen of traditional rulers’ councils across the country that anti-corruption enforcement would penetrate the grassroots in order to make development closer to the people.
He stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at the maiden Annual National Conference of Local Government Council Chairmen and Traditional Rulers Councils.
According to him, the Commission’s commitment to accountability does not stop at the federal level, pledging closer attention to transparency at the sub-national tier as well.
He noted that as more resources flow to local governments, the real measure of success will be whether that funding translates into tangible improvements in the everyday lives of grassroots communities.
He pointed out that the EFCC’s work supports every pillar of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and pledged that accountability efforts would extend to the sub-national level.
“The EFCC is equally committed to transparency and accountability at the sub-national level and would want to see the improved resources flow to the third tier of government translate into improvement in the quality of lives of the grassroots population,” he said.
Represented by the Director, Public Affairs Department, Commander of the EFCC, CE Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC Chairman highlighted the conversion of recovered proceeds of crime into public investment, noting that the Federal Government had directed ₦50 billion each from recovered funds to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP), with further funding since approved. He also cited the transformation of the forfeited former NOK University in Kaduna State into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, which he said had enrolled 1,909 students by December 2025.
On national security, Olukoyede said economic crime and security threats could no longer be treated as separate concerns, pointing to the financing of terrorist organisations, illegal mining, cross-border cybercrime and money laundering as serious security issues.
He disclosed that the Commission’s specialised enforcement portfolio had recorded 920 cases and 212 convictions, with further investigations and prosecutions ongoing across money laundering, terrorist financing, illegal mining and virtual-assets fraud.
He added that almost 60 per cent of the Commission’s processes and operations had been digitalised, alongside continued investment in the Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre and investigative technology, to protect Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy from fraud and abuse.
“We will investigate professionally, prosecute on the strength of evidence and respect the constitutional role of the courts in determining guilt or innocence. No title should place anyone outside the reach of the law, but neither should the fight against corruption be separated from due process.”
Olukoyede recalled that between October 2023 and the period covered by the Commission’s recent stewardship account, the EFCC recorded recoveries exceeding ₦1.233 trillion, alongside about $684.48 million, £373,905.78 and €9.34 million in other currencies.
He said roughly two-thirds of the naira recovered was returned to ministries, departments and agencies, state revenue services, companies and individuals, with federal and state tax recoveries alone totalling about ₦288.1 billion.
