EFCC Detains 10 for Alleged Theft of Missing Items, Sacks Another 27 Officers Over Fraudulent Activities
In its continuing efforts to sweep the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, clean of corrupt tendencies, 10 officers of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, are being detained over investigation of some missing items involving them. The officers, who were arrested last week on the directives of the Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede are answering questions related to the theft of some operational items that they could not account for.
Investigators are making good progress and those found culpable will be subjected to internal disciplinary processes Meanwhile, in the quest to enforce integrity and rid its fold of fraudulent elements, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, dismissed twenty seven (27) officers from its workforce in 2024.
The officers were dismissed for various offences bordering on fraudulent activities and misconduct.
Their dismissal, follows the recommendations of the Staff Disciplinary Committee of the EFCC, that was ratified by the Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede. Effort to get the names of the sacked officers was not successful.
Meanwhile,Olukoyede reiterated the commitment of the Commission to zero tolerance for corruption, warning that no officer is immune to disciplinary measures. Every modicum of allegation against any staff of the Commission would always be investigated, including a trending $400,000 claim of a yet-to-be-identified supposed staff of the EFCC against a Sectional Head.
Dele Oyewale, Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC says that the core values of the Commission are sacrosanct and would always be held in optimal regard at all times.
The Commission according to the EFCC Spokesman also wishes to alert the public of the sinister activities of impersonators and blackmailers using the name of its Executive Chairman to extort money from high-profile suspects being investigated by the EFCC.
Two members of an alleged syndicate, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim according to Oyewale were recently arraigned before Justice Jude Onwuebuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja for allegedly contacting a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Kaka and demanding $1million from him for “Olukoyede to give him soft landing” on a non-existing investigation. Such characters are still on the loose seeking victims.
Olukoyede according to the EFCC spokesman remains a man of integrity that cannot be swayed by monetary influences. The public is enjoined to always report such disreputable elements to the Commission. Additionally, the EFCC is aware of moves being hatched in some quarters to blackmail officers of the Commission through unwholesome means. Suspects being investigated for some economic and financial crimes who have failed to compromise their investigators would always clutch at any straw. Such blackmailers should not be accorded any form of attention, the Commission’s spokesman noted.