Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for a stronger alliance with civil society groups and the media, insisting that the fight against corruption cannot be won by the Commission alone.
Speaking during a one-day capacity-building workshop for CSOs and journalists in Maiduguri on Thursday, the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Maiduguri Directorate, Barr. Aisha Habib, stressed that community-level engagement is key to halting the spread of financial crimes.
According to her, civil society actors and media practitioners are closer to the grassroots and uniquely positioned to push the anti-corruption message where the Commission may not easily reach.
“That’s why the Commission organised this workshop — to engage the media and CSOs to take the message against financial crimes to the communities, because they have better access to the people,” Habib said.
She warned that fraudulent schemes—particularly cryptocurrency-related scams—continue to grow, preying on public ignorance and greed.
“The issue of financial crimes, especially cryptocurrency fraud, is ongoing and we felt it is easier to engage you…
“The key message to the public is: beware, be cautious and don’t be greedy.
“There is nothing like 200% in any business. When it is too good to be true, it is not true,” she added.
792 Suspects Arrested in Six Hours
The EFCC’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Dele Oyewole, revealed startling operational figures, disclosing that the Commission arrested 792 fraud suspects in a single six-hour operation in 2024, including 192 foreigners.
He noted that courts later ordered the deportation of the foreign nationals, while the Commission secured the forfeiture of 753 duplex units traced to the proceeds of crime in the same year.
Addressing claims that the EFCC focuses mainly on internet fraudsters, Oyewole dismissed the perception as false.
He stated that the Commission arraigned five former governors and five former ministers in 2024, demonstrating that its mandate cuts across all levels of society.
According to him, the EFCC recorded 4,111 convictions between 2024 and 2025, underscoring what he described as a “deliberate, system-wide effort” to strengthen accountability.
*Over N566 billion recovered in 2024*
Oyewole further revealed that the EFCC recovered N566 billion in 2024 alone. Portions of the recovered funds, he said, have been channelled into national developmental projects and education financing.
He highlighted the contribution of the recovered funds to initiatives such as NELFUND, which supports indigent students across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
*Experts spotlight crypto-driven crimes*
Resource persons at the workshop—including financial-crime experts Muawiyya Abdulkarim and Aliyu Abdulmalik (representing the Head of Legal and Prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed)—took participants through emerging trends in cryptocurrency fraud, challenges in prosecution, and practical steps for improving collaboration against financial crime.
The workshop ended with a renewed call for CSOs and journalists to intensify grassroots advocacy, as the EFCC positions community partnership as the next frontier in Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.
