By Vincent Ujumadu
AWKA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured 1,370 convictions from 1,889 cases filed in court during the first half of 2026, the commission’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has said.
Olukoyede disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at the commissioning of the EFCC Awka Zonal Directorate Complex, which will serve Anambra and Imo states.
He said the commission also recovered ₦1,233,612,040,411.11, $684,478,457.32, £373,905.78 and €9,343,803.66 during the period, in addition to recoveries in other currencies.
Giving a broader account of the commission’s activities, Olukoyede said that between October 2023 and July 2026, the EFCC received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions.
He said the figures represented a conviction-to-filing ratio of 75.1 per cent.
According to him, the commission had introduced reforms aimed at improving its operations, including changes to its processes and procedures, which he said had contributed to its performance across various law-enforcement indicators.
On the new Awka directorate, Olukoyede said its establishment was part of the EFCC’s expansion programme, supported by appropriations from the National Assembly and interventions by the Federal Government.
He said Anambra and Imo required effective institutional presence because of their economic activities, describing the states as centres of enterprise, commerce and industry.
Olukoyede said the EFCC’s mandate went beyond arrests and prosecution to include prevention and coordination in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
“The EFCC exists not merely to arrest and prosecute. Our official mission encompasses prevention, enforcement and coordination in the effort to eradicate economic and financial crimes,” he said.
He said preventing financial crimes before they occurred could help reduce the economic and social costs associated with fraud and diversion of public resources.
“If we can identify vulnerabilities before billions of naira are lost, prevent fraudulent transactions before citizens lose their savings, strengthen procurement systems before public resources are diverted and interrupt criminal financial flows before they mature, then we would have saved the nation enormous economic and social costs,” he said.
The EFCC chairman said the Awka directorate would place emphasis on corruption prevention and engagement with government institutions, businesses, financial institutions, professional bodies, schools, markets, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, religious bodies and communities.
He urged members of the public to provide credible information about suspected economic and financial crimes, while cautioning against using whistleblowing to settle personal scores.
“Whistleblowing must become an act of responsible citizenship,” Olukoyede said.
“However, whistleblowing must be responsible and based on fact. It must not become an instrument for settling scores.”
He called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, town unions, market associations, professional bodies, youth and women’s groups, civil society organisations and the media to support efforts to prevent corruption.
Olukoyede also urged the new directorate to build sustained relationships with state and local governments, tertiary institutions, the organised private sector and community structures in Anambra and Imo.
Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said the commissioning reflected the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the capacity of anti-corruption agencies.
The President said his administration had, since assuming office, worked to improve the institutional capacity of anti-corruption agencies to carry out their mandates.
He said the Awka directorate would strengthen the EFCC’s presence in Anambra and Imo, particularly in major commercial and industrial centres.
“From the industrial towns of Onitsha and Nnewi, to the oil and gas town of Egbema and the rapidly growing economic city of Owerri, Imo State, the presence of EFCC will improve the ease of doing business,” Tinubu said.
He said the government would continue to provide an enabling environment for anti-corruption agencies to carry out their responsibilities.
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, assured the commission of the state government’s cooperation in carrying out its duties.
Soludo said reducing financial crimes was in the interest of the state and expressed satisfaction that Anambra would host the regional directorate.
“Some people might be asking why we’re so excited about having the zonal office in our state. The reason for our excitement is that it will enhance quicker investigation,” he said.
The governor, however, observed that the EFCC’s staffing capacity made it difficult for the commission to establish offices in every local government area.
“Ideally, EFCC should have offices in the 774 local government areas of the country, but with only about 6,000 staff, it is difficult to have offices in all LGAs,” he said.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, commended the EFCC for bringing its services closer to residents of the two states.
Uzodinma also appealed to the commission to establish a dedicated state office in Imo to enhance its coverage and operations in the state.
