Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm over what it described as a planned and coordinated campaign of calumny targeted at the Commission and its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the anti-graft agency alerted Nigerians to alleged plots by politicians and groups with vested interests in suspects currently under investigation or prosecution by the Commission.
According to the EFCC, those behind the scheme have allegedly recruited “a motley crowd of paid jobbers comprising politicians, academics, so-called civil society activists and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora” to orchestrate sustained media attacks. The Commission said the campaign is designed to push “phantom allegations of political bias” against both the EFCC leadership and the institution as a whole.
The Commission noted that the primary aim of the alleged smear campaign is to distract and weaken its operations, while also using fear and misinformation to pressure the agency into avoiding investigations involving opposition politicians.
It warned that the situation could worsen as Nigeria’s political environment becomes more charged in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
“Their objective is to befuddle the works of the Commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate the Commission into a timid mode,” the statement said, adding that the EFCC would not succumb to such tactics.
*EFCC: Activities of Sponsors Under Watch*
The EFCC placed those allegedly involved in the campaign on notice, stressing that their activities are being closely monitored. It made it clear that it would not tolerate any attempt to derail its constitutional responsibility of promoting public accountability.
Reaffirming its position, the Commission stressed that it remains strictly non-political in the discharge of its duties.
“Facts on the ground clearly show that any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage, has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the Commission,” the statement said.
It further noted that several prominent figures across both ruling and opposition parties are either currently facing trial or under investigation by the EFCC.
*No Political Alliance, No Selective Justice*
The anti-corruption agency also addressed public commentaries surrounding the presumption of innocence, clarifying that such positions are grounded in constitutional provisions and should not be misconstrued as a defence of any individual or group.
The EFCC emphasized that it has no alliance or working relationship with any political party, describing such claims as unfounded and misleading.
The Commission categorically stated that it would not be pressured or blackmailed into making public disclosures about politically exposed persons under investigation.
Reiterating its resolve, the EFCC pledged to continue carrying out its mandate “without fear or favour,” insisting that justice and accountability remain at the core of its operations, regardless of political considerations.
