The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has said the commission has dismissed more than 40 of its staff members for corruption and financial malpractice in the last three years.
Olukoyede made this known on Monday in Abuja during a media interactive session held to mark his three years in office.
He also disclosed that about five EFCC officials are currently facing prosecution for alleged corrupt practices.
He said, “In the past two and a half to three years of my service, I have asked them to dismiss over 40 staff on account of corruption and financial malpractice. More than five of them are being prosecuted at the moment.”
According to him, some of the affected officials are already in court, while case files involving others are being prepared for prosecution.
Olukoyede said the commission would not protect its own staff from prosecution when they are accused of corruption.
He explained that if the EFCC investigates and prosecutes people outside the commission for corruption, its own officials must also face the law when they engage in similar acts.
The EFCC chairman said the disciplinary measures were part of efforts to ensure that the commission’s officers maintained the same level of integrity expected of other Nigerians.
“You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can’t be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices,” he said.
Olukoyede also announced that the commission had renamed its former Internal Affairs Department as the Department of Ethics and Integrity.
He said the move was part of efforts to strengthen internal discipline and promote integrity among EFCC personnel.
The commission has also introduced a gift policy to improve transparency and prevent conflicts of interest among its officials.
Under the new policy, EFCC staff will be required to declare gifts above a certain value, including gifts received from friends and relatives in Nigeria and abroad.
Olukoyede said the commission would also determine the types of gifts its officers could accept and require them to explain their sources of income and standard of living.
He called for stronger institutional reforms and better policies to tackle corruption, saying law enforcement alone could not end financial crimes.
According to him, the best way to fight financial crime is to put policies and institutional reforms in place to block loopholes and prevent public funds from being stolen.
Olukoyede also urged the media and civil society organisations to strengthen their watchdog roles in the fight against corruption.
