When President Bola Tinubu appointed Ola Olukoyede as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC )Chairman in October 2023, the mood across the country was one of cautious optimism. After years of public fatigue with anti-corruption rhetoric, many Nigerians wondered if another change at the top would make any difference.
Two year later, the results speak for themselves.4,111 convictions in 2024 alone, over N365.4 billion in recoveries, and institutional reforms that have positioned the EFCC as a more effective instrument of national anti-graft policy.
The scale of Olukoyede’s achievements becomes clear when viewed cumulatively. Within his first 100 days, the EFCC recovered over N70.5 billion, processed more than 2,600 petitions, and secured 747 convictions. In his first year (October 2023 to October 2024), the commission achieved 3,455 convictions and recovered approximately N248.75 billion plus various foreign currencies.
By 2024, these metrics had increased substantially, demonstrating accelerating institutional effectiveness rather than one-time spikes.
What distinguishes Olukoyede’s leadership from previous EFCC administrations is not merely the volume of prosecutions but the strategic intentionality behind them.
The forfeiture of 753 housing units in Abuja, while controversial in its specific execution, visibly demonstrated that ill-gotten wealth accumulated through corruption could be recovered and reclaimed for the state.
This asset recovery sends a powerful message that corruption proceeds are not safely hidden but subject to institutional retrieval. Similarly, the recovery and repatriation of 53 vehicles to Canadian authorities in cross-border fraud cases demonstrates the EFCC’s capacity for international cooperation and complex asset recovery.
The institutional reforms implemented under Olukoyede’s watch represent equally significant achievements. The establishment of the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Department in 2023 reflected recognition that corruption prevention must complement prosecution.
This department’s mandate to track public fund disbursement, monitor contracts, and improve internal controls addresses a fundamental weakness in Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework – the tendency to pursue cases after theft occurs rather than prevent corruption through robust administrative controls.
The Special Task Force on currency offences, which Olukoyede established and which has secured over 35 convictions related to naira abuse, addresses a specific economic threat that undermines national financial stability.
The illegal demand for foreign currency in domestic transactions, the dollarisation of the economy, and currency manipulation represent forms of economic sabotage that directly damage national economic sovereignty.
By targeting these crimes with dedicated investigative capacity, Olukoyede’s EFCC has addressed a vulnerability that broader reform efforts had neglected.
The commission’s strategic framework targeting cybercrimes reflects appropriate institutional evolution toward 21st-century criminal enterprises. The arrest of 792 suspects in a single Lagos operation focused on cryptocurrency and internet fraud demonstrates capacity for large-scale operations against digital-age criminals.
This represents critical institutional adaptation, as Nigeria’s youth increasingly engage in online scams that damage the country’s international reputation while victimising millions globally.
Perhaps most importantly, Olukoyede has instigated internal accountability mechanisms that previous EFCC leaderships had neglected. The dismissal of 27 EFCC staff for misconduct and investigations into internal fraud, including the $400,000 scandal involving a unit head, demonstrate commitment to institutional integrity.
The establishment of internal ethics and compliance committees signals that the EFCC recognises that electoral and institutional credibility depend on the conduct of those who staff these institutions.
An anti-corruption agency compromised by internal corruption lacks legitimacy regardless of its prosecutorial record.
The prosecution of politically exposed persons represents institutional willingness to hold powerful actors accountable.
While these cases remain ongoing and critics raise legitimate questions about whether prosecution reflects political calculation or evidentiary merit, the willingness to pursue such cases at all represents institutional courage that previous EFCC administrations sometimes lacked.
The support from President Tinubu, expressed through public commendation and institutional backing, has provided the political space for Olukoyede’s reforms to proceed without the executive interference that compromised previous anti-corruption efforts.
This executive support reflects recognition that institutional strength serves the broader national interest. The president’s specific commendation of the Special Task Force on currency offences and the strategic framework targeting cybercrimes demonstrates understanding that anti-corruption progress requires targeted attention to evolving criminal methodologies.
Olukoyede has also sought to humanise the EFCC’s image. By curbing media sensationalism and prioritising lawful prosecution over public spectacle, he has begun to rebuild trust between the Commission and citizens. His emphasis on professionalism, staff welfare, and merit-based promotions has quietly re-energised EFCC’s workforce.
Still, the road ahead is steep. Public corruption remains entrenched, digital fraud is morphing faster than enforcement can keep up, and political interference is a constant threat. Yet Olukoyede’s two year has proven that leadership still matters—that data, discipline, and integrity can shift an institution’s culture.
As the EFCC marks nearly 13,000 convictions in its 22-year history, the bulk of recent successes bear his imprint. For a man who once served quietly as the Commission’s Secretary and Chief of Staff, Olukoyede has, within a year, moved from the margins of administration to the frontlines of reform.
If the early results are any guide, his era may yet be remembered as the moment Nigeria’s anti-corruption war stopped talking—and started counting.
