Tackle illicit funds CBN Gov urges Nigerians abroad
Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has called on Nigerians in the diaspora to actively support the country’s fight against corruption by helping to detect and report illicit financial activities abroad.
Speaking during the Canada–Nigeria Legal Exchange Forum, organised by the Canadian Association of Nigerian Lawyers, CANL, at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre, Olukoyede said the war against corruption continues to face serious challenges, including delays in prosecuting politically exposed persons and the complicity of some foreign professionals in laundering stolen funds.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. Some trials take too long, and certain nations are slow to return stolen assets.
“Worse still, some professionals have enabled corrupt officials to launder wealth abroad,” Olukoyede said, warning that these trends undermine national development and Nigeria’s global credibility.
The EFCC boss, however, noted that the commission had undertaken sweeping institutional reforms aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and professionalism.
Among these, he said, were the introduction of new operational frameworks such as the Gift Policy, Exhibit Room Security Policy, and Sting Operations Policy, all designed to close internal loopholes and strengthen ethical conduct.
He disclosed that the commission had upgraded its Zonal Commands in Lagos, Ekiti, Katsina, and Anambra States to zonal directorates, thereby improving operational reach and staff career progression.
The Department of Internal Affairs was also renamed the Department of Ethics and Integrity, signalling a renewed commitment to discipline and ethical standards.
In a symbolic show of leadership by example, Olukoyede said he had declared his assets publicly and directed all EFCC personnel to follow suit, a move he described as part of efforts to institutionalise transparency within the commission.
He listed the creation of several specialised units, including the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC, Department, Digital Transformation and Innovation Unit, and International Asset Tracing and Recovery Unit, as part of the EFCC’s expanded strategy to confront emerging financial crimes. Others include the Visa and Migration Fraud Section and task forces targeting currency abuse and other financial offences.
Further, he said in the past two years, the EFCC secured 7,503 convictions, recovered N566 billion, $411 million, and seized 1,502 real estate properties, including 753 duplexes in Lokogoma, Abuja, and the Nok University campus in Kaduna State, which has since been converted to the Federal University of Applied Sciences.
Olukoyede also highlighted that recovered funds were being channelled into national development through programmes such as the Student Loan Scheme and Consumer Credit Scheme, as well as through government agencies like NDDC, AMCON, FIRS, and the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA.
He urged Nigerian professionals in Canada and other parts of the world to be vigilant and assist in preventing illicit wealth from entering foreign financial systems.
“The increasing number of Nigerians migrating to Canada could inadvertently provide avenues for illicit wealth. Your vigilance is crucial. You can help prevent this by cooperating with law enforcement agencies,” he said.
The EFCC Chairman also emphasised the importance of international partnerships, revealing that the commission had signed memoranda of understanding with law enforcement agencies in Canada, Spain, Germany, and South Korea to facilitate the tracing and repatriation of stolen assets.
“The fight against corruption is a shared mission. By strengthening internal structures and leveraging the vigilance of our diaspora, we can ensure that Nigeria’s resources are protected and its reputation upheld,” he stated.
