History
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was established on December 12, 2002, by President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration to combat financial crimes and money laundering. The commission's creation was partly in response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Money Laundering, which had ranked Nigeria as one of 23 non-cooperative countries. However, on April 13, 2003, the EFCC commenced operational activities under Nuhu Ribadu as the pioneer Executive Chairman. Under Nuhu Ribadu, the agency addressed financial corruption by prosecuting and convicting a number of high-profile corrupt individuals, ranging from Nigeria's former chief law enforcement officer to several bank chief executives. By 2005, the EFCC arrested government officials including Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. [3] [4]
In September 2006, the EFCC had 31 of Nigeria's 36 state governors under investigation for corruption. [5] In December 2007, the Nigerian Federal Government, after extensive investigations by EFCC and other organisations, cleared the Vaswani Brothers [6] of any wrongdoing and invited them back into the country. Leading Nigerian daily This Day and other major newspapers reported the facts of their clearance quoting text from FG issued directives. In April 2008, the EFCC began an investigation of the very influential daughter of a former Nigerian President, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello for receiving N10 million ($100,000), stolen from the Ministry of Health. The former Health Minister (Professor Adenike Grange) and her deputy were tried for stealing over N30,000,000 ($300,000) from the ministry's unspent funds from a year before. [7]
On June 6, 2008, Chief (Mrs) Farida Mzamber Waziri was sworn in as the new chairperson of the EFCC. [1] Then on the 6th of August 2008, the former chairman Nuhu Ribadu was demoted from Assistant Inspector General (AIG) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). [8]
On September 14, 2010, the head of the Forensic Unit of the EFCC, Abdullahi Muazu, was assassinated in Kaduna. He had been actively involved in the trials of several heads of banks. [9]
Waziri was dismissed by President Goodluck Jonathan on 23 November 2011 and replaced by Ibrahim Lamorde as Acting Chairman, who was confirmed on the 15 February 2012 by the Nigerian Senate. [10]
Ibrahim Lamorde was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 9, 2015, and replaced with Ibrahim Magu. The Nigerian Senate refused to confirm Magu as chairman of the agency twice due to security reports by law enforcement agencies in the country. [11]
On July 6, 2020, Magu was arrested by operatives of the State Security Service and the Nigeria Police Force and driven to the Aso Villa where he was made to answer questions on alleged corruption against him. [12] [13] He was detained overnight and on July 7 was suspended from his position as chairman of the agency pending the completion of the investigation.
On July 10, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the immediate suspension of Ibrahim Magu as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) [14] in a statement issued by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. President Muhammadu Buhari also approved that the EFCC Director of Operations, Mohammed Umar Abba, should take charge and oversee the activities of the Commission [15] [16] pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and further directives. On 16 February 2021 Abdulrasheed Bawa was nominated as substantive chairman of EFCC by President Muhammad Buhari. [17] [18]
The current chairman of EFCC is Ola Olukoyede, appointed by President Bola Tinubu on 12 October 2023 [19]
In October 2024, the chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has challenged religious leaders in Nigeria to be more committed to the fight against corruption by preaching the right messages. [20]
