The EFCC Chairman, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, said this at the inauguration of an electronic learning management studio at the EFCC Academy in Abuja.

Olukoyede said the studio would help to boost the intellectual strength of the commission’s workforce and promote distance learning.

While stressing the importance of technology in the fight against corruption, Olukoyede pointed out that the studio would add value to the productivity of staff and help develop capacity.

“As you are all aware, our mandate is now technology-driven. In those days, you get to go to the bank; you fill vouchers, fill everything, collect your card, put it in your boot and drive it home

“But today, at the press of a button, you move money across the world

“So, if they have advanced in the way they move money, we are also advancing in the way we checkmate them, and that is the essence of this project,” he said.

The Commandant of the EFCC Academy, Mrs Chinwe Ndubeze explained the concept of the e-learning studio.

Ndubeze said the academy had a statutory capacity-building mandate for the EFCC workforce and staff of other law enforcement agencies.

According to her, it is also the designated training Academy for the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions of West Africa, NACIWA.

“The EFCC Academy is the designated training Academy for NACIWA.

“You will be delighted to be part of launching our E-Learning system.

“It is a demonstration that, not just the EFCC, but NACIWA is moving forward and not lagging behind with trends relating to the digital era.

“It is clear that, indeed, education must go digital. We are in the digital era and it is staring us in the face,” she said.

The commandant said that the Academy had been leading in the area of training and education.

“We are delighted that we are moving our training from the mundane, the regular to the innovative, and of course, you know that when it comes to E-Learning, it is more inclusive,” she said.

Head of the External Corporation Unit of the EFCC, Aliyu Wali, said that the potentials and possibilities of the studio were enormous.

According to him, it will open doors of endless possibilities for growth, learning and innovation for officers of the EFCC, Nigerians, sister agencies and other stakeholders.

The Acting Director of Public Affairs for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, stated this in an interview with Arise Television.

“I don’t think it’s the place of the EFCC to ban or direct foreign missions in the manner or way they handle their finances.

“We recognise as a commission that foreign missions as representatives of their home countries enjoy certain diplomatic privileges by international law and the commission, it’s not our place to want to interfere with some of the privileges that they enjoy under international law.

“It is not within the remit of the EFCC to either ban or direct foreign missions in the manner or way they handle their finances,” Uwujaren said.

According to him, there were concerns about certain practices observed in the handling of consular services by foreign missions, particularly the invoicing in dollars and determining exchange rates with Nigerians and foreign nationals.

The anti-graft agency said such practices conflict with existing laws and regulations in Nigeria, and compelled the EFCC to notify the missions of such practices through the ministry of foreign affairs.

Uwujaren said, “What actually happened is that the commission overtime observed that a number of the foreign missions by the manner and way they handle their consular services, a number of them have engaged third parties to carry out consular services on their behalf and those third parties have been invoicing in dollars.

“Some even went to the rigorous extent of determining the exchange rate of the naira in the course of their transactions with Nigerians and foreign nationals based in Nigeria. And we thought that practice conflicts with extant laws and regulations in Nigeria and we felt compelled to bring this practice to the knowledge of the missions through the ministry of foreign affairs.”

Uwujaren further stated that the EFCC never wrote any letter to any foreign mission, but issued an advisory to the ministry of foreign affairs.

EFCC’s Chairman, Ola Olukayode, disclosed this while speaking in Abuja at the 2023 Annual Retreat and General Meeting of the Association of Chief Audit Executives of Banks in Nigeria.

He pointed out that the banking sector was increasingly becoming a cesspool of fraudulent activities and this had been raising considerable challenges and concerns to the commission.

Olukayode who was represented by the Director, Internal Audit, EFCC, Idowu  Apejoye, said there was a need for concerted effort by relevant authorities and professionals, especially audit executives to prevent and tackle issues of fraudulent practices in the sector.

He said, “Broadly speaking, banking fraud in Nigeria is both inside and outside related. The inside related fraud comprises outright selling of customers’ deposits, authorising loan facilities, forgery and several other kinds of unhealthy and criminal practices.

“The outsider related ones include hacking, ATM fraud, conspiracy, among others. And then the absurd one is when both collaborate, that is collaboration among the bankers and the outsider.

“That one is the one that is really absurd because when you do that, that means you are selling out the system. It is estimated that about 70 per cent of financial crimes in Nigeria are traceable to the banking sector, this scenario is disturbing and unacceptable.”

Olukayode stated that in order to curb the anomalies, ACAEBIN should ensure proper reconciliation of accounts every month in accordance with accounting requirements.

He charged the association to monitor the financial activities of banks, comparing actual and budgeted revenue with expenses, carry out periodical review, checks, among others.

The Chairman, ACAEBIN, Prince Akamadu, said the association would work towards achieving some of the recommendations provided by the EFCC boss.

He also stated that the association was fully committed to fixing the foreign exchange challenges in Nigeria, which was one of the issues that the retreat aimed to achieve.

“That is part of the reason why we are having this retreat, to ask ourselves, to do an introspection and ask ourselves, given our position in the banking industry, or the executives of banks in Nigeria, are we doing enough?

“Have we done enough? What more can we do to help in sanitising the system? Are there things the banks could do to help in sanitising the FX in this country?”

“By the end of this retreat, we are expected to come up with a communique and we hope to address some of the issues, one way or the other, that will address the role of banks in FX  challenges in this industry,”

Akamadu further explained that banks were not resting on their oars to curb fraudulent activities, as they were putting efforts in the Know Your Customer mechanism.

“I will tell you something, I’m not aware of any institution, any sector that has done more in the area of KYC than the banking industry. But it truly goes beyond the banks.

“And I can tell you truly again that even at the bankers committee level and even at the typical details of banks in Nigeria, these are areas we are actually looking at to see where there are leakages and to begin to block them,” he stated.

He stated that the association was working tirelessly to address these concerns and assured the EFCC boss that there would be more positive results going forward.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede made this declaration during a meeting with the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement comes in the wake of the recent suspension and probe of government officials, including the National Coordinator and CEO of the National Social Investment Program Agency, Ms Halima Shehu, over alleged financial wrongdoing.

President Bola Tinubu’s directive prompted immediate action, with the EFCC also scrutinizing former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, for an alleged N37.1 billion fraud, along with her predecessor, Betta Edu, over alleged fraudulent activities.

In his words; “We believe that with the kind of President we have, who is ready and willing to do the right thing, and from what we have seen in recent times and the last 48 hours, it is clear that he has provided the political will and leadership and created the atmosphere for us to work.

“So, there is no hiding place for the corrupt. We must give our best, we must be committed and give the President the support he needs. Nobody is too big to be investigated in this country. Once you are not playing according to the rules, we will investigate you.”

He further noted that the engagement with the ICPC was sending the right signals to the entire country that the anti-corruption agencies are coming together and extending hands of comradeship and fellowship to each other with a mind to work together.

He recalled that there was a subsisting Memorandum of Understanding, MoU between both agencies.

Initiated by the Chairman of ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, the meeting took place at the EFCC headquarters and included the chairmen and management staff of both anti-graft agencies.

The primary objectives were to deepen mutual cooperation, synergize efforts, and discuss areas of collaboration for a more impactful anti-corruption drive in Nigeria.

During the meeting, Chairman of ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, emphasized the commitment to the existing relationship between the two agencies.

He expressed the ICPC’s readiness to provide necessary support and cooperation in the interest of eradicating corruption in Nigeria.

Aliyu highlighted the importance of working together and avoiding duplication of responsibilities to optimize resources and time.

The Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, concurred on the position of collaboration, noting that the meeting provided an opportunity to review the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the agencies.

He emphasized the similar mandates of both agencies, considering the significant population of Nigeria, and stressed the need for collaborative efforts.

Mr. Olukoyede also acknowledged the political will of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to combat corruption, expressing confidence that the President’s leadership would strengthen anti-corruption agencies.

He stated that with the President’s support, there would be no hiding place for individuals not adhering to the rules, emphasizing that nobody is too big to be investigated in the country.

This was disclosed during a meeting between Olukoyede and a delegation from Daar Communication PLC at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

According to a statement released on the official EFCC X handle, Olukoyede expressed deep concern about the high rate of youth participation in cybercrimes.

He urged the media to play a crucial role in designing programs that aim to enlighten young people about the negative consequences of engaging in such criminal activities.

“We are looking towards Daar Communications to enlighten our youths on the evils of cybercrimes. It is worrisome that 7 out of 10 students today are involved in cybercrimes.

“These are the youths we are preparing to be leaders of tomorrow. The media should not relent in enlightening them on the evils of such criminal practices.”

Olokoyede’s comment is coming weeks after the EFCC arrested 69 students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) for fraud-related offences.

Emefiele, who was recently released from the Department of State Services’ detention, was apprehended by EFCC operatives in Jabi, Abuja, less than an hour after regaining his freedom.

A reliable source revealed that Emefiele is under investigation by the EFCC for alleged financial impropriety during his tenure as the head of the central bank.

“Yes, Emefiele is currently in our (EFCC) custody; he was arrested last night less than an hour after the DSS freed him. He’s currently being interrogated at the headquarters, as he’s being investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds amongst other things during his term as CBN governor,” the source noted.

It was gathered that fresh charges may be filed against Emefiele by the EFCC.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached for official confirmation when contacted by our correspondent on Friday.

Emefiele had been in the custody of the Department of State Services since June, following his suspension from office by President Bola Tinubu.

He had been asked to hand over his responsibilities to Folashodun Shonubi, the then Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate at the apex bank.

Spokesperson for the commission, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying Olukoyede issued the directive during a meeting with the staff at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

“All of us are going to declare our assets; from Level 17, downward. I did mine, so there’s no reason for anyone to be afraid to do the same. Even the commission’s secretary did, you all may also have done it in the past, but there’s a need for all of us to do it again. We will declare our assets, and we are going to investigate them,” the EFCC chairman was quoted as saying.

“We must live above board by setting the pace with good examples. As anti-corruption fighters, our hands must be clean and so we must declare our assets.”

Urging staff of the commission to pay more premium attention to the basis of fighting economic and financial crimes, Olukoyede said such efforts should be geared towards growing the economy of the nation, creating rightful environment for enhanced investment and strengthening the productive base of the economy.

The EFCC boss also urged staff of the commission to be professional, thorough in their engagements, rich in integrity and be non-partisan.

“We must do our job to add values to the nation. Investors must have confidence in the economy and we must help the country to be governed in an accountable and transparent manner. By doing this, it will offer us a new direction to redeem the image of the nation,” he said.

He assured staff of better welfare package, enhanced training and equal opportunities to ensure higher productivity.

Both suits were brought before the court by legal practitioners, Mr. Stanley Okawara and Mr. Maxwell Opara.

Whereas the first suit, marked: FHC/KN/CS/280/202, was lodged before the Division of the court in Kano State, the second suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1410/2023, is pending before the Abuja Division.

Already, Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Kano court has fixed October 30 to hear a motion on notice seeking to restrain the EFCC chairman, whose appointment was confirmed by the Senate on October 12, from exercising the powers and functions of the office or drawing salaries and emoluments as an occupant of the office, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

Though the plaintiff had through his lawyer, Mr. Jideobi Johnmary, filed an ex-parte application for the court to issue an order of interim injunction against Olukoyede, Justice Liman, however, ordered him to go and put all the defendants on notice.

Cited as defendants in the matter are President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the EFCC.

The court directed the plaintiff to join both the EFCC chairman, Olukoyede and Secretary of the Commission, Muhammad Hammajoda, as 4th and 5th defendants in the matter, respectively.
Justice Liman further granted permission to the plaintiff to serve a copy of the court process on President Tinubu, by serving same on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

Besides, the court okayed substituted service of the suit on the Senate President, through the clerk of the Senate.

It equally abridged the time within which all the defendants should enter appearance and file their respective processes to 15 days.

Specifically, the plaintiff is, among other things, praying the court to determine “whether having regard to the combined provisions of Section 1(1), 1 (2), and (3), 4 and 15(5) of the Amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 2 (1) (a) of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004, the 1st defendant (Tinubu) is possessed of the constitutional powers to appoint anyone who is not a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent to the position of the Chairman of the 3rd Defendant?
“Whether having regard to the combined provisions of Section 1(1), 1 (2), and (3), 4 and 15(5) of the Amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 2 (1) (a) of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004, the 2nd defendant (Akpabio) is possessed of the constitutional powers to receive and consider for screening and ratification by the Nigerian Senate anyone who is not a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent to the position of the Chairman of the 3rd Defendant?”.

Upon determination of the legal questions, the plaintiff wants an order of the court “restraining anyone (appointed by the 1st Defendant) who is not a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent (with 15 years cognate experience) from assuming duties or performing the functions or exercising the powers of the chairman of the 3rd Defendant.

“An order nullifying and setting aside – as a nullity- the appointment and ratification as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, of anyone who is not a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent (with 15 years cognate experience) in the event those appointment and ratification take place before the judgment of this Honourable Court is delivered in this case.”

Meanwhile, in the case pending in Abuja, the plaintiff, Opara, is praying the court to determine; “Whether having regard to Section 2 (1)(a)(i) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, it is unlawful and a void act for a person not statutorily qualified to be appointed by the President Federal Republic of Nigeria to hold the office of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who, by law, shall be the chief executive and accounting officer of the commission.

“Whether having regard to 2 (1) (a)(iii) of The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, the appointment of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission who by Law shall be the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Commission on the 12th day of October, 2023, is void abinitio, conferring or extinguishing no legal rights whatsoever for not possessing atleast 15 years’ cognate experience of law enforcement.

“Whether the sole qualification of being a legal practitioner can equate the to the rank of any government security or law enforcement agent in Nigeria without formal enrolment into same.

“Whether the 4th defendant who is not an active nor a retired security agent or law enforcement agent but a legal practitioner of not less than 22 years’ Post-call and 6 years’ experience of rendering administrative services within the commission is qualified to be appointed as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who by Law shall be the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the commission.

“Whether the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, has unfettered discretion to bluntly disregard the provisions of the law donating and guiding in exercising his power to appoint a chairman for the commission as donated under section 2 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”

He is seeking an order, “setting aside and nullifying the appointment of the 4th Defendant as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on the 12th day of October, 2023.

“An order of injunction restraining the 4th Defendant, acting by himself or through his agents and servants, from continuing to hold out, present and or parade himself as chairman of the Economic and Crimes Financial Commission.”

Listed as 1st to 4th defendants in the matter that is yet to be assigned to a judge for hearing, are President Tinubu, the AGF, EFCC and its embattled chairman, Olukoyede.

Mr. Olukoyede’s appointment is for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation. This decision comes almost four months after the suspension of the former EFCC chief, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.

The statement, released by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, is titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new EFCC Chairman and Secretary of the Commission.’

Mr. Olukoyede brings a wealth of experience to his new role as a lawyer with over 22 years of expertise in regulatory compliance, fraud management, and corporate intelligence.

He has an extensive history of working within the EFCC, previously serving as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman from 2016 to 2018 and as Secretary to the Commission from 2018 to 2023, meeting the statutory requirements for appointment as Chairman of the EFCC.

In addition to Mr. Olukoyede’s appointment, President Tinubu has also approved the appointment of Mr. Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the EFCC.

Mr. Hammajoda’s appointment is for a renewable term of five years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.

He is a public administrator with a background in public finance management, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters in Business Administration from the same institution.

The President charged the new leadership of the EFCC with the responsibility to fulfill their important national role as part of a revitalized anti-corruption effort, undertaken through a reformed institutional structure in the anti-corruption sector.

This remains a central pillar of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda.