EFCC Raises Alarm Over Planned Campaigns Against Agency

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm over plans by individuals with vested interests in ongoing investigations to blackmail and discredit the agency.
In a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, @officialEFCC, the Commission alerted the public to a coordinated campaign of calumny allegedly being planned by politicians and interest groups linked to suspects currently under investigation or facing prosecution by the EFCC.
According to the post, a motley group of paid jobbers comprising politicians, academics, so-called civil society activists, and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora has been mobilised by disgruntled elements to orchestrate a smear campaign against the Commission.
These individuals are allegedly sponsoring media attacks aimed at the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, and the institution as a whole, using what the Commission described as phantom allegations of political bias in the discharge of its statutory duties.
The EFCC stated that the primary objective of these campaigns is to obstruct its work and, through scaremongering and intimidation, push the Commission into a timid posture—one in which it would hesitate to investigate opposition politicians for fear of being branded partisan.
The Commission further warned that the campaign is likely to intensify as the political atmosphere becomes more charged in the months leading up to the 2027 general elections.
The EFCC put those involved in what it described as an ignoble enterprise on notice that their activities are being closely monitored, stressing that it will not tolerate any attempt to distract it from its patriotic responsibility of promoting public accountability and combating corruption in Nigeria.
Reiterating its non-political stance, the Commission emphasized that empirical evidence shows that political affiliation offers no shield from its operations. Any political actor—whether from the ruling party or the opposition—found to be involved in corruption has no hiding place from the Commission’s investigative and prosecutorial processes. Indeed, several prominent figures from both the ruling and opposition parties are currently under investigation or standing trial in courts across the country.
The EFCC further urged Nigerians to appreciate that it remains faithful to its Establishment Act in all its operations. It clarified that public commentary on the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence for defendants in court aligns strictly with constitutional provisions and should not be misconstrued as a defence of any individual or group.
The Commission also stressed that it has no alliance or working relationship with any political party, describing these facts as unassailable.
Finally, the EFCC stated unequivocally that it will not succumb to pressure or blackmail to make public disclosures regarding politically exposed persons under investigation for alleged corruption. The Commission therefore reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice without fear or favour, in full and faithful execution of its mandate.