Nigerian anticorruption agency sacks 40 staff over misconduct allegations

Nigeria’s anticorruption watchdog has dismissed more than 40 of its own employees for alleged corruption and financial misconduct over the past three years.

Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed the dismissals during an event highlighting the agency’s achievements on Monday.

Nigerian media outlets reported that five of the dismissed staff are facing prosecution and cases are being prepared against the others, citing Mr Olukoyede’s media briefing.

The EFCC is a Nigerian law enforcement and anticorruption agency that investigates financial crimes, including advance fee fraud, money laundering and corruption. It has investigated politicians and other officials accused of misappropriating public funds.

“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,” Olukoyede told journalists at the briefing in the capital, Abuja, local outlet Vanguard reported.

“You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can’t be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices,” Olukoyede added.

During the briefing, the agency head said the EFCC had recovered 1.23 trillion naira ($923m) and secured a 75 percent conviction rate.

“The commission received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions between October 2023 and July 2026,” Olukoyede said.