EFCC: GIW Supports Anti-graft War, Urges Continued Scrutiny, Respect For Rights

Global Integrity Watch (GIW), an international civil society organisation, has stressed the need for continued scrutiny, accountability and respect for the rights of individuals in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.

The organisation said public recognition of the achievements of anti-corruption agencies must go hand in hand with transparency, fairness and adherence to the rule of law.

GIW stated this during an Integrity March to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where it acknowledged the commission’s reported achievements in convictions and asset recoveries under the leadership of its chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

Addressing youths during the march, GIW Country Representative, Comrade Eneji Mohammed, who spoke on behalf of the organisation’s Executive Director, Comrade Abraham Temitayo Adewoye, said sustained progress in the fight against corruption required professionalism, transparent accounting and respect for due process.

“GIW recognises the anti-corruption efforts reported under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the EFCC leadership. Public recognition should go hand in hand with continued scrutiny, accountability and respect for the rights of all persons,” Mohammed said.

According to the organisation, the EFCC reported securing 7,503 convictions and recovering approximately ₦566.32 billion between October 2023 and September 2025, alongside foreign currencies and 1,502 non-monetary assets.
GIW also cited a stewardship briefing published by the EFCC chairman’s office in August 2026, which reportedly put the commission’s convictions at 10,872 between October 2023 and July 2026.

The briefing further reported recoveries of approximately ₦1.234 trillion and $684.48 million between October 2023 and June 2026.
While acknowledging the figures, Mohammed emphasised that the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts should not be measured by convictions and asset recoveries alone, but also by the transparency of the process and the protection of the rights of those involved.
He said sustainable results required properly documented achievements, transparent accounting for recovered assets, and investigations and prosecutions conducted in accordance with the law.

Mohammed explained that GIW’s accountability approach includes the use of lawful Freedom of Information requests, reviews of published audit reports and official documents, and requests for clarification from public agencies over questioned expenditure, procurement decisions and missing or incomplete records.

He said unresolved concerns could be addressed through public advocacy, media engagement or referrals to competent authorities, where appropriate.
“Our work is not a personal attack on any public official or institution. It is a public-interest effort to strengthen governance, improve transparency and support a Nigeria in which public funds are managed responsibly,” he said.

The GIW representative added that audit observations should be treated as issues requiring clarification rather than automatic proof of wrongdoing.
He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to evidence-based reporting, the presumption of innocence, fair procedures and the right of institutions and individuals to respond to allegations.

Through its New Nigeria Public Accountability Initiative (NNPAI), GIW said it intends to promote transparency, encourage responsible reporting of suspected wrongdoing and strengthen accountability standards across public institutions.

The organisation clarified that the initiative would not replace law enforcement agencies or prejudge allegations, but would promote public education, documentary evidence and civic engagement in support of existing accountability mechanisms.

GIW also encouraged whistleblowers and members of the public with credible information about suspected corruption to preserve relevant records and report their concerns through appropriate lawful channels.

It urged public institutions to maintain reliable financial records, comply with disclosure requirements, respond to lawful Freedom of Information requests and explain corrective measures taken when irregularities are identified.

Responding, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, represented by the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, commended GIW for recognising the agency’s efforts to tackle corruption in Nigeria.

Oyewale urged stakeholders across the country to acknowledge the commission’s work and support collective efforts to combat corruption.
He said Olukoyede remained committed to building a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria through the enforcement of anti-corruption laws.

According to him, the commission would continue its efforts to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the gains of the anti-corruption campaign.

“We want stakeholders across the country to come forward in the same way to appreciate what the commission is doing,” Oyewale said.

He added that the EFCC chairman’s commitment was driven by a desire to build a better, stronger and more prosperous country through the application of anti-corruption laws.
Oyewale assured GIW that its message would be communicated to the EFCC chairman, management and staff, adding that the commission would sustain its anti-corruption efforts.

He also cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and the Credit Corporation of Nigeria as examples of initiatives he said reflected efforts to strengthen institutions and address corruption-related challenges.

GIW reiterated that protecting public resources and ensuring accountability remained a collective responsibility, stressing that public funds belonged to Nigerians and must be managed in the public interest.

The organisation maintained that lasting progress against corruption depended on institutional independence, transparency, evidence-based scrutiny, fair procedures and the equal application of the law.