Politicians Planning Campaigns Of Calumny Against Us — EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm that politicians were recruiting people, media, civil society organisations, among others, to carry out campaigns of calumny against it and its chairman, Ola Olukoyode, in the coming days.

The EFCC said the reason for the campaign was to discredit the hard work of the commission in recent times and cast aspersion on the person of the chairman of the commission.

Spokesperson of the commission, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement that, “A motley crowd of paid jobbers comprising politicians , academics, so-called civil society activists and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora have been recruited by these disgruntled elements to orchestrate campaigns of calumny through sponsored media attacks targeting the chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede and the institution itself with phantom allegations of political bias in the execution of the commission’s mandate.

“Their objective is to befuddle the works of the commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate the commission into a timid mode, where it will be afraid to investigate opposition politicians for fear of being labelled as partisan. This campaign is likely to intensify as the political space becomes charged, in the months leading to the 2027 general election.”

He, howeverk noted that “the commission wishes to put those recruited into this ignoble enterprise on notice that their activities are under close watch, and EFCC will not tolerate any attempt to distract it from the patriotic task of improving public accountability in Nigeria.

“The EFCC reiterates its non-political stance in all its activities. Facts on the ground clearly show that any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage, has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the commission. As a matter of fact, several strong members of the ruling and opposition parties are either facing trial before the courts or being investigated by the commission.

“It is needful that Nigerians appreciate the fact that the commission is keeping faith with its Establishment Act in all its operations. Commentaries about presumption of innocence of a defendant in court are in line with the provisions of the Constitution and not intended as defence of any individual or group. Additionally, the Commission has no alliance or working relationship with any political party. All these facts are unassailable.

“The EFCC will not be pressured or blackmailed into making public disclosures of politically exposed persons being investigated for one alleged corruption case or the other. Therefore, the Commission reiterates its commitment to justice, without fear or favour, in the fulfilment of its mandate.”