The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is the primary agency when it comes to measures put in place to curb corruption in Nigeria, which includes combating economic and financial offenses such as money laundering or fraudulent activities.
Since the year of its inception in 2003, several prominent leaders have held the office of the secretary within the Commission and have been at the forefront in the struggle against corrupt practices within the Nigerian state.
The chairpersons of the commission have contributed immensely to the development of commission policies, enforcement of such policies, and collaborations with international organizations in the fight against financial crimes.
The EFCC has also contributed significantly in the fight against the vice of financial crime in Nigeria and you can see that every chairman has a signature on the way things are done in the agency. Ribadu laid the foundation, while Bawa is propelling the institution into a modern digital space.
EFCC Chairmen From 2003 – Present
| No | Chairman | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuhu Ribadu | April 2003 – December 2007 |
| 2 | Farida Waziri | May 2008 – November 2011 |
| 3 | Ibrahim Lamorde | November 2011 – November 2015 |
| 4 | Ibrahim Magu | November 2015 – July 2020 |
| 5 | Mohammed Umar Abba (Acting) | July 2020 – February 2021 |
| 6 | Abdulrasheed Bawa | February 2021 – June 2023 |
| 7 | Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol (Acting) | June 2023 – October 2023. |
| 8 | Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede | October 2023 – Present |
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1. Nuhu Ribadu ( First EFCC chairman, April 2003 – December 2007)
Nuhu Ribadu was born on November 21, 1960, in Adamawa State, Nigeria. He studied law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and later earned a master’s degree in law.
Ribadu began his career in the Nigerian Police Force before being appointed as the first chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2003 by President Olusegun Obasanjo. During his time as EFCC chairman, Ribadu made headlines for his aggressive stance against corruption.
Key Achievements
- Foundation Building: Under Ribadu’s leadership, the operational structure of the EFCC was developed with an emphasis on addressing crimes such as fraud, money laundering, and other forms of corruption.
- High-profile Cases: During his leadership, the EFCC was able to successfully prosecute individuals in high offices, including politicians and other public officials, which resulted in sentences being passed.
- International Recognition: He achieved great success in attracting international interest and assistance, in particular such organizations as the FBI and INTERPOL.
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2. Olanipekun Olukoyede: The Current Chairman of EFCC
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu nominated Olanipekun Olukoyede for the position of chairman of the EFCC which he took up in October 2023.
With this appointment, he became the first inaugural Nigerian lawyer to steer the Commission, suggesting the government of Nigeria’s desire to bring in legal professionals in the leadership of the agency.
A graduate of the University of Lagos, Olukoyede has practiced law for over two decades. He worked as the Chief of Staff to the former Chairman of the EFCC Ibrahim Magu and contributed greatly towards the working and anti corruption policies of the agency.
However, prior to his current post, Olukoyede had spent years practicing impassioned law focusing mainly on compliance and regulatory aspects of the profession.
Chairman Olukoyede is expected to give the institution’s anti-corruption capacity a digital boost and to strengthen the institution’s global connections.
He is also expected to lead the fight against high-level corruption management and enhance the openness of the management of public funds.
Key Achievements
- Raising the stakes in the battle against corruption by broadening the new measures aimed at increasing transparency and accountability. In particular, he has placed great emphasis on the recovery of assets and has made great efforts to fortify the different processes involved in asset forfeiture in order to return the misappropriated assets to the people.
- Olukoyede has made it a point to address the issue of operational efficacy, putting in place steps in the enhancement of internal processes and inter-agency relations. This also involves developing investigative capacities and data availability between the EFCC and other government agencies.
- Technology focused initiatives are also of great importance under his management such as the EFCC Eagle eye app which allows members of the public to report cases of economic crime is now active.
