By Miriam Humbe
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), dismissed 27 officers from its workforce in 2024.
A statement signed on Monday by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC Head, Media & Publicity said this was in its quest to enforce integrity and rid its fold of fraudulent elements,
The officers were dismissed for various offences bordering on fraudulent activities and misconduct.
Their dismissal, following the recommendation of the Staff Disciplinary Committee of the EFCC, was ratified by the Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede.
Olukoyede reiterated the commitment of the Commission to zero tolerance for corruption, warning that no officer was immune to disciplinary measures.
Every modicum of allegation against any staff of the Commission would always be investigated, including a trending $400,000 claim of a yet-to-be-identified supposed staff of the EFCC against a Sectional Head.
He said that core values of the Commission are sacrosanct and would always be held in optimal regard at all times.
The Commission also alerted the public of the sinister activities of impersonators and blackmailers using the name of its Executive Chairman to extort money from high-profile suspects being investigated by the EFCC.
Two members of an alleged syndicate, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim were recently arraigned before Justice Jude Onwuebuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja for allegedly contacting a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Kaka and demanding $1million from him for “Olukoyede to give him soft landing” on a non-existing investigation.
Such characters are still on the loose seeking victims.
The EFCC said that Olukoyede remained a man of integrity that cannot be swayed by monetary influences.
EFCC urged the public to always report such disreputable elements to the Commission.
Also, the EFCC said it was aware of moves being hatched in some quarters to blackmail officers of the Commission through unwholesome means.
Suspects being investigated for some economic and financial crimes who have failed to compromise their investigators would always clutch at any straw.
The Commission said that such blackmailers should not be accorded any form of attention.
