General
Tinubu Lauds EFCC’s N500bn Asset Recovery, 7,000 Convictions
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has lauded the achievements of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the leadership of Mr Ola Olukoyede for achieving new heights in asset recovery and convictions.
Speaking at the 7th EFCC-NJI Capacity Building Workshop for Justices and Judges, on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, the President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated that, “As an administration we have prioritized public accountability by strengthening the anti-corruption agencies and accorded them the needed independence to execute their statutory mandates. This enabling environment is evident in the impact that has been made in the last two years.
“The EFCC, for example, has recorded over 7,000 convictions in the first two years of the present administration and recovered assets in excess of Five Hundred Billion Naira. Recovered proceeds of crime by the agency have been ploughed back into the economy to fund critical social investment programmes, including the Students Loan and Consumer Credit schemes.”
Mr Tinubu at the event themed Enhancing Justice in the Fight against Economic and Financial Crimes called on judges and justices to give their utmost in the fight against corruption, noting that the judiciary was critical to a successful anti-crime fight.
He noted that corruption can be rooted out in the country if citizens choose to do what is right and those who deviate are punished accordingly.
“We have an opportunity to consolidate the efforts of the last two years to deliver an optimal anti-corruption framework that will support our peaceful growth and development.
“A Nigeria free of corruption is possible, if we all commit to doing what is right in our respective spheres of influence and ensuring that those who deviate from the norm are not allowed to go scot-free. A robust judicial system is central to the success of anti corruption efforts and I count on our judges.
“We have allowed both the judiciary and the anti-graft agencies to exercise their constitutional and statutory powers to dispense justice and restore sanity.
“The evidence is before your eyes. We cannot claim to have excelled in our pursuit of a transparent system if we do not live by such examples. Courts and judges are strong pillars of the anti-corruption process.
“Except the society has full confidence that those who pillage our resources will be subjected to the rule of law and brought to justice through a fair and transparent process of adjudication, the sneers over our collective commitment to fighting corruption will only get louder.
“This point should resonate with your lordships. Your vantage position on the bench does not insulate you from the consequences of corruption.
“There are no special roads, hospitals or communities for judges. We all shop in the same markets and face the same risk of insecurity which is a culmination of decades of willful theft and wastage of the nation’s resources by corrupt public officials.
“I believe that it is in the interest of all Nigerians, members of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary to join hands in this important task of fighting and winning the war against corruption in Nigeria,” he said.
On his part, Mr Olukoyede in his opening remarks, noted that though he had always been conscious of the enormous role of the judiciary in enforcing the rule of law and accountability in the course of his work in fraud management and regulatory compliance, the last two years of superintending the affairs of the EFCC have further brought the importance of the judiciary as the cornerstone in the fight against corruption into sharper focus.
He regretted the long-winding courtroom procedures that encumber the Commission’s progress in high profile corruption cases.
“The milestones we have recorded in the past two years are almost overshadowed by public concern over the progress of high profile cases in court.
“The seeming convoluted trajectory of many cases involving politically exposed persons evoke gasps of exasperation, incredulity and sometimes disdain by the people. Without mentioning specific cases and courts, there are cases filed by the Commission 15 or 20 years ago that appear in limbo, moving in circles.
“We appeared to have grown accustomed to a predictable pattern in high profile prosecutions: When investigations are concluded, getting PEPS to appear in court to answer to charges is a herculean task itself.
“When that hurdle is overcome, and the charge is read, other antics unfurl. It is either the charges are not properly served, or the defendant who hitherto was fit as fiddle suddenly comes down with some of the most chronic ailments under the sun. A medical report is brandished and technical adjournment procured.
“At other times, defendants recant on the statements they voluntarily made. A trial-within-trial is ordered. If that fails, a no case submission is the ultimate card of rigmarole, and the trial is on a roller coaster, that may stretch until God knows when! The power of the Commission to file a charge is challenged or the neutrality of the trial judge queried.
All of these amount to weaponization of procedures.
“Prioritization of procedural technicalities at the expense of justice undermines public confidence in the fight against corruption and financial crimes.
“This calls for greater circumspection by Your Lordships in making pronouncements and decisions with dramatic implication for the fight against corruption. When cases drag in court, many things happen. Witness fatigue sets in, memories fade and those who had testified may struggle to recall their earlier testimonies. In extreme circumstances, the witness or the prosecutor may have died, or moved on and no longer available to testify. The defendants too grow old and frail, eliciting compassion that was not there in the beginning.
“The longer cases last in court, the more the chance that they slip off popular consciousness, and the image of the court as the temple of justice is eroded. The only victor in the circumstance is corruption.
“My lords, while the Nigerian Judiciary is blessed with competent and courageous judges and justices, the actions and decisions by a few are sources of worry to agencies such as the EFCC,” he said.
Speaking further, the EFCC boss stated that . “For instance, the Commission is disturbed by the trend in which some judges of state high courts issue orders to apprehend the powers of the Commission to investigate money laundering cases, even though it is clearly established that those matters are outside their purview.
“More worrisome is the fact that most of those decisions are made ex-parte. Even where the Commission appeals, there are no restraints in making contempt decisions against it.
“In addition, contradictory decisions by courts of coordinate jurisdiction in high profile corruption cases encumbers the work of the Commission. There is also the case when senior lawyers are allowed to stall the arraignment of corruption suspects through frivolous applications.
“These antics leave the society with suspicion that the courts and the prosecution are not keen about justice. This feeds into the theme of the workshop: Enhancing Justice in the Fight Against Economic and Financial Crimes.
“It is a clarion call to interrogate the absurdities obstructing the flow of the wheel of justice, especially in cases of corruption and other forms of economic crime.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court ordering the freezing of the bank account of the Osun Srate government.
In a statement today by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said he’s “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order” because of its timing, which is just a few days to the governorship election in the state next Saturday.
According to him, actions of an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
