The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed more than 40 of its personnel for corruption and financial malpractice since Ola Olukoyede became chairman of the anti-graft agency.
Olukoyede disclosed this on Monday during a briefing on the activities of the commission under his leadership at its headquarters in Abuja.
He said more than five of the dismissed officers were currently facing prosecution, while the EFCC was preparing case files against other personnel for possible prosecution.
‘In the past two and a half years or three years of my service, I’ve asked them to dismiss over 40 staff on account of corruption and financial malpractice. More than five of them are being prosecuted at the moment,’ Olukoyede said.
The EFCC chairman said the commission would apply the same anti-corruption standards to its personnel that it applies to members of the public accused of financial crimes.
He questioned why officers dismissed for corruption should escape prosecution when the commission routinely investigates and prosecutes people outside the agency for similar offences.
‘Because if that is what people do in other agencies and I arrest them, I investigate them, I prosecute them, why must I just dismiss you if you do it within our own system and I’m not prosecuting you?’ he asked.
Olukoyede added that some of the affected officers were already standing trial, while proceedings against others were being prepared.
‘You can follow those cases in court; they are public knowledge,’ he said.
As part of efforts to tighten internal accountability, the commission has also changed the name of its former Department of Internal Affairs to the Department of Ethics and Integrity.
Olukoyede said the restructuring was designed to reinforce what he described as ‘internal cleansing’ within the agency.
The EFCC chairman also announced the introduction of a gift policy for personnel as part of measures to improve transparency and accountability.
Under the policy, officers would be expected to declare assets above a specified threshold, including gifts received from relatives living abroad.
The commission will also establish the categories of gifts its personnel are permitted to accept, with Olukoyede saying the measures would help ensure officers can explain their sources of livelihood and standards of living.
‘You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can’t be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices.’