The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, has reaffirmed the Commission’s resolve to pursue and prosecute individuals involved in corruption, no matter their political affiliations.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, Olukoyede said, “If we discover that you have stolen money, you will have questions to answer, regardless of whether you are from the APC, PDP, Labour Party, NNPP, or SDP.”
The EFCC boss made this declaration amid growing concerns and allegations that the anti-corruption agency focuses more on opposition politicians while sparing members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, Olukoyede denied these claims, stressing that the Commission is guided strictly by evidence and the rule of law.
“So, irrespective of your political affiliation, it is our duty to make sure that we do the right thing,” he said.
“So, for us, the issue is, have you allegedly committed an offence? Have we discovered an issue that you need to answer for? That is what drives our processes; that is what drives our action.”
He argued that contrary to popular belief, EFCC records show that more members of the ruling APC have been charged with corruption than politicians from other parties.
“If you check the statistics of our work in the area of investigation and prosecution, particularly high-profile cases, you will perhaps find more members of the ruling party, some of the cases we have done. So, we must be judged fairly,” Olukoyede stated.
He also cautioned against shielding any suspect due to their political leanings, saying it would be unjust for the Commission to avoid probing opposition figures simply to avoid criticism.
“You will find prominent members of the ruling party as part of the people we have investigated and filed charges against.”
“So, for us to close our eyes to people who perhaps are not members of the ruling political party will be unfair to us and will be an injustice to us,” he said.
Addressing public impatience with the investigation into the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, who is alleged to have misappropriated ₦30 billion, Olukoyede explained that the EFCC is conducting a thorough inquiry.
Edu was suspended in January 2024 over the controversial transfer of ₦585 million to a personal account.
Olukoyede noted, “We started the investigation of Betta Edu in January 2024; there are so many angles to the investigation. We are taking our time to uncover all that we need to uncover and have facts.”
