Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

05/09/2026

Ola Olukoyede led EFCC supported student loan through NELFUND to the tune of N100billion.

04/09/2026

EFCC Arraigns Two for Alleged £110,000, ₦500m Fraud in Lagos



The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, September 4, 2026, arraigned Ali Bala and Yusuf Umar Anka before Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, for an alleged £110,000 and ₦500 million fraud.

The defendants are standing trial on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering, stealing, and retention of stolen property.

One of the counts reads: “That you, ALI BALA (a.k.a. Barrister Ahmed) and YUSUF UMAR ANKA, sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conducted financial transactions involving proceeds of your unlawful activities to disguise the source of the stolen £110,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand Pounds Sterling), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7(1)(b)(i) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.

In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, requested for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility.

Defence counsel, however, informed the court of a pending bail application.

In his ruling, Justice Ogunjobi adjourned the matter to September 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application, and ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing.

04/09/2026

N117million Fraud : Five Bag Seven-year Jail Term in Lagos

Justice K.A. Jose of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Tapa, Lagos, on Thursday, September 3, 2026, convicted and sentenced five persons to seven years imprisonment for their involvement in a N117.7 million fraud involving Chi Limited.

The convicts: Yinka Salawu, Joshua Oluremi Daramola, Raji Ahmed, Afolabi Israel Olusegun, and Muraina Olanrewaju Abdullahi, were prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, obtaining money by false pretence, and forgery.

One of the counts reads:“that you, Yinka Salawu (aka Mr. Yinka James Christopher), Tinuke Olayinka Salawu (aka Mrs. Yinka James Christopher), Ogbeide Kingsley Stevenson, Joshua Oluremi Daramola, Raji Ahmed, Sule Tijani Adebayo (at large), Afolabi Israel Olusegun, Muraina Olanrewaju Abdullahi, Fred Esumike (at large), and Ismaila Kareem (trading under the name and style of Ismak Ola Nig. Ltd.) (at large), sometime in 2009 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N81,359,922.00 (Eighty-One Million, Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Two Naira) from Chi Limited under the false pretence that the money was payment for goods and services you supplied and rendered to Chi Limited, which representation you knew to be false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

In the course of the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses drawn from the EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force, banks, and Chi Limited. It also tendered several documentary exhibits to establish its case against the defendants.

At the conclusion of the trial, Justice Jose found the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th defendants guilty on Counts One, Two, and Three and convicted them accordingly. However, the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th defendants were discharged and acquitted.

Following the convictions, the prosecution counsel, M.S. Owede urged the court to invoke Section 11 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act and order the convicts to restitute Chi Limited, the petitioner the sums stated in counts Two and Three, totalling N117,755,061.

Owede also asked the court to order the sale of properties belonging to the 1st convict, with the proceeds paid to Chi Limited. Alternatively, he urged the court to order that the properties be forfeited outrightly to the petitioner.

In her ruling, Justice Jose sentenced each of the five convicts to seven years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine.

“The convicts will be given credit for the periods they have already spent in custody. All periods spent in prison shall be deducted from the seven-year terms imposed by the court,” the judge ruled.

On the issue of restitution, Justice Jose, relying on Section 297 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, ordered the convicts to restitute Chi Limited with the sums contained in the charge.

“All monies already paid shall be deducted from the amounts to be restituted,” Justice Jose added.

The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when they were arrested for obtaining the sum of N81,359,922.00 (Eighty-One Million, Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Two Naira) from Chi Limited under the false pretence that the money was payment for goods and services they supplied and rendered to Chi Limited. They neither delivered the goods and services nor returned the money to the company.

02/09/2026

Build Your Future by Embracing Integrity, Olukoyede Charges Youths

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has called on students and youths across the country to be the builders of their own future by embracing integrity and accountable conduct.

He gave the charge in Abuja on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 when students of Wisdom Academy came on a study tour of the EFCC’s headquarters.

The Chairman, who spoke through the Head, Media & Publicity and Spokesperson of the Commission, Deputy Commander of the EFCC, DCE Dele Oyewale, stated the future of youths will be determined by what they build themselves through hard work, integrity and avoidance of criminal tendencies

“As a Commission, we are telling you that there is a future ahead but that future is to be built by you; you have to make a choice on the future that you want to build for yourself. Many young people today are taking short cuts, the short cuts of criminality, internet fraud, all manner of compromises, financial infraction and thinking that is the way to go. That is not the way to go. If you take short cuts, you are likely to be cut short. So, as young people that are interested in a future that is going to be profitable for the entire country, embrace values that are sustainable, profitable, time-tested values that you can leverage on, so that tomorrow you can be so sure that what you have built today can be able to sustain you tomorrow,” he said.

“The name of your Academy, Wisdom Academy, is very instructive. Wisdom is the ability to see a problem before it becomes an emergency. And when you look at Nigeria today, for our youths and for those that are a bit advanced in age, you will see that corruption is a problem and it takes wisdom for us to be able to navigate, pattern our lives overcome this challenge,” he said.

Olukoyede noted that many Nigerians have found themselves between either accepting to be part of the problem of corruption facing Nigeria or joining in the efforts to combat it for the benefit of all.

“We have found ourselves at a juncture in our country to either decide to be part of the problem or be the solution. As young people, your future is not a ready-made structure. Your future is a building that must be built. Your future is not a tower that is waiting for you to just go into, it is a super structure that you need to build yourself.”

The EFCC Chairman warned them against compromising the values and ethics that have the potential to help them achieve life goals, adding that “Nigeria is not going to build your future for you. The EFCC is not going to build your future for you. You are going to build your future by yourself, by your industry, resourcefulness, vision and commitment to profitable values.”



“That is why as a young fellow, you have to stand up and say, I am going to do something differently. The only firm place that you can stand to make you rule the world is the firm place of integrity, uprightness and personal commitment to say that I am not going to be part of the crowd, I am going to separate myself to be able to move my generation forward,” he added.

“At the EFCC, we are doing a lot of work, we fight all manner of economic and financial crimes; contract fraud, procurement fraud, money laundering, illicit flow of funds, banking fraud, anything that is a compromise of established extant rules and regulations concerning finances and the economy, we fight them. But we cannot fight these alone if you and I do not resolve to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem,” he said.

Speaking on the need for young Nigerians to have good role models, Head, Enlightenment and Reorientation, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Aisha Muhammed stated that the EFCC is concerned with young Nigerians having role models that can shape their perception for a better future.

“It is very important and it is something we try to talk to the younger ones because if there is anything we realized that is affecting the young generation is lack of role models, they don’t have mentors. The EFCC is always ready to have the younger ones, you are our topmost stakeholders, because we are catching them young to build up a better generation and a better Nigeria,” she said.

Muhammed told the visitors that the EFCC does not only prosecute economic and financial crimes but also prevent and investigate financial offences. “Before EFCC arrests anyone, the EFCC tries to talk to people, we go to schools, we have Integrity Clubs in Primary and Secondary schools, we have Zero Tolerance clubs in tertiary institutions and then we have the EFCC-NYSC CDS group. We do sensitization, we have Radio and TV programmes,” she further said.

She called on the students to live a life of integrity and avoid get-rich-quick syndrome and peer pressure. “We try to explain to the people that there is no comparison, our fingers are not equal. "Say not to peer pressure, don’t allow anybody to pressure you, you are unique, beautiful and you are the most important person even if you are sitting with a billionaire,” she added.

Representative of Wisdom Academy, Dr. Wycleff Dah appreciated the EFCC, stating that the first objective of Wisdom Academy is to develop good citizenship in Nigeria. “The very first objective is to develop youths that are patriotic, civil, bold, wise and clever in terms of their schooling, careers, money, relationship with others. And I think you have helped in no small way to move that objective to a great point,” she said.

02/09/2026

EFCC Arraigns Man for Alleged N1.09b Fraud in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, arraigned one Mahmud A. Abubakar before Justice N.C. Nwabulu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

Abubakar was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on retention of proceeds of a criminal activity to the tune of N1,098,976,008 (One Billion, Ninety-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy-six Thousand and Eight Naira).

Count one reads: "That you Mahmud A. Abubakar, between January 2024 and December 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did retain control of the proceeds of a criminal conduct totalling N795,360,000 (Seven Hundred and Ninety-five million, Three hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira) in your Access Bank with name Mahmud A. Abubakar and number 0057310017, which sum you knew that the same was derived from criminal conduct and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under Section 17(b) of the same Act."

Count two reads: “That you Mahmud A. Abubakar, between January 2024 and December 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did transfer proceeds of a criminal conduct totalling N303,616,008 (Three Hundred and Three Million, Six Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Eight Naira) from your Access Bank with name Mahmud A. Abubakar and number 0057310017, to one Suleiman Umar which sum you knew that the same was derived from criminal conduct and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under Section 17(b) of the same Act.”

He pleaded “not guilty,” to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, Y.Y. Tarfa, to request a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a Correctional Centre, while the defence counsel, A. M. Aliyu, filed a bail application, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel.

Justice Nwabulu granted the defendant bail with two sureties, both of whom must be Level 15 civil servants, with one required to be a landed property owner in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.


The judge further ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions and adjourned the matter till September 30, 2026, for commencement of trial.

02/09/2026

https://station.voscast.com/6784e9ec00d2c/

02/09/2026

EFCC Chairman : The super striker against corruption👌

02/09/2026

31/08/2026

Shun Corruption, Promote Integrity, Olukoyede Charges Young Women

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has charged young women in the country to shun corruption and direct their creative energy towards promoting integrity, hard work and national development.

He gave the charge on Sunday, August 23, 2026, in his goodwill message at the graduation and award ceremony of African Girl Guide, AGG, 12-Week Leadership Exposure Programme, held in Abuja, with the theme, “Leading Beyond the Programme: Sustaining Purpose, Influence, and Impact.”

Represented by the Head of the Commission’s Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit, Assistant Commander of EFCC, ACE II Aisha Mohammed, Olukoyede noted that the training given to the graduates had prepared them for positive contributions to society.

“Your theme is exactly what Nigeria needs. In EFCC, we fight the 'yahoo yahoo' and the 'get-rich-quick' mentality that is destroying many of our youth. But we know law enforcement alone is not enough; we need home training; we need the Girl Guide training. In EFCC, we know that corruption starts with a compromise of character. And character is what you are building here,” he said.



He urged the graduates to lead with purpose, use their influence positively and say no to fraudulent activities, shortcuts, examination malpractice and bribery.

“Be the girl who says no to fraud, no to shortcuts, and yes to hard work. Your influence is powerful when you pool it together," he said.

While charging them to be women of integrity in every sphere of life, the EFCC boss assured them of the Commission’s continued collaboration with youth organisations towards creating opportunities for young people to positively harness their talents, stating that “Nigeria’s future is in your hands, and we are counting on you to be women of integrity in school, in business, in government and in the home."

On his part, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, urged the graduates to embrace integrity, confidence, courage, responsibility and continuous learning as essential qualities of leadership.

Represented by Margaret Yenami, the Deputy Director, Abuse Rights Narcotics Department of NOA, Issa-Onilu pointed out that the National Values Charter was designed to reconnect Nigerians to the values that define the nation, noting that leadership remained one of the Charter’s key principles.

“Leadership is not all about wielding authority, giving command, or giving orders. It is all about your ability to create positive change, do what is right and inspire others," he said. He charged the graduates to represent Nigeria positively wherever they found themselves.

Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, described AGG as a critical partner in the fight against human trafficking and other forms of abuse.

Bello, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Kehinde Akomolafe, noted that the programme had empowered girls with knowledge and confidence to protect themselves and others from exploitation.

She charged the young women to know their rights, protect their dreams and become guides to others

Founder of the African Girl Guide, Jindu Peter Elueze, expressed appreciation to government agencies, partners, parents and other stakeholders for supporting the programme.

Elueze, who observed the importance of empowering women and girls, stating that “The value of a woman should not be underestimated.”

He described the programme as a journey of transformation and empowerment, and expressed confidence that the participants had been equipped to make meaningful contributions to society.

Part of the highpoint of the programme was the award of "Distinguished Integrity" and "Legacy Advocacy” bestowed on Olukoyede in recognition of his “outstanding commitment to integrity, ethical leadership, accountability, and valuable contribution to inspiring young women to becoming principled and responsible leaders through the African Girl Guide.”

31/08/2026

Olukoyede Charges EFCC’s Media Managers on Emerging Technologies in Information Dissemination



The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has charged Heads of Public Affairs across the Commission to embrace emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), and deploy innovative, strategic and credible communication approaches to effectively tell the EFCC story, counter misinformation and strengthen public confidence in the fight against economic and financial crimes.



He gave the charge on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the closing ceremony of a Two-Day Executive Master Class on AI, Digital Media, Fact-Checking and Strategic Corporate Communication for Public Institutions, organised for Heads of Public Affairs Departments of the Commission at its Headquarters in Abuja.



Represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda, Olukoyede commended the organisers and participants for the success of the Master Class, noting that the rapidly changing communication environment demanded that the Commission’s communication professionals remain ahead of emerging technologies, trends and narratives.



The EFCC boss said the training was particularly timely as the Commission continued to strengthen its engagement with Nigerians and communicate the impact of its activities in the fight against economic and financial crimes. He urged the participants to translate the knowledge acquired into improved performance, stressing that "effective communication is central to public understanding, institutional credibility and sustainable support for the anti-corruption campaign."



He also stressed that the Commission expected its Public Affairs officers to use the knowledge gained from the programme to develop more compelling narratives, respond intelligently to emerging issues and ensure that the EFCC’s story is told with accuracy, speed and credibility.



Also speaking at the occasion, the Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman, Commander of the EFCC, CE Michael Nzekwe, spoke glowingly about the contributions of the Public Affairs arm of the Commission to the projection of the EFCC’s image and the advancement of its anti-corruption mandate.



He acknowledged the strategic role being played by Public Affairs officers in explaining the Commission’s work to the public, shaping public understanding of its activities and ensuring that the relevance of the EFCC in the fight against corruption remains visible in the public space. He encouraged the communication team to sustain its professionalism, creativity, and commitment to telling the Commission’s story in ways that resonate with Nigerians.



The Director, Public Affairs Department, Commander of the EFCC, CE Wilson Uwujaren, expressed appreciation to the management of the Commission for sponsoring the training, describing the investment in the capacity development of Public Affairs officers as timely and valuable.



Uwujaren urged the participants to put the knowledge acquired into optimal use, stressing that the true value of any training was measured by its impact on performance. He charged the Heads of Public Affairs Department in the zones to return to their various formations better equipped to deploy emerging communication technologies, fact-check information, develop compelling digital content and communicate the activities of the Commission more strategically.



Giving the vote of thanks on behalf of the facilitators of the programme, the Executive Director of the West Africa Broadcast Media Academy, WABMA, Mike Yawe, described the two-day engagement as an intensive and impactful learning experience. He thanked the EFCC for giving WABMA the opportunity to engage with what he described as a professional and highly interactive team.



Yawe observed that the training went beyond conventional lectures, providing participants with an opportunity to “learn, unlearn, rethink and refine” their approaches to communication.



According to him, one of the major lessons from the training was that "the communication environment has changed, and communicators must change with it." He noted that Artificial Intelligence was no longer something communication professionals could afford to observe from a distance as it offered opportunities to research faster, generate ideas, analyse information, improve content and achieve better results within shorter periods.

However, he cautioned that technology remained a tool, stressing that human communicators must continue to provide judgement, ethics, context and responsibility in the use of AI.



The WABMA Executive Director commended the quality of participation during the brainstorming sessions, noting that the questions, experiences and perspectives shared by participants demonstrated that the EFCC communication team was thinking deeply about its responsibility to the institution and the Nigerian public. He, however, challenged the participants to take the lessons from the Master Class back to their various offices and put them into practice.

“Use the AI tools responsibly. Verify before you amplify. Think strategically before you communicate. And never compromise the credibility of the institution you represent,” he charged.



He expressed appreciation to the management of the EFCC, the Public Affairs Department , facilitators and participants for making the two-day programme engaging and productive, while expressing hope that the engagement would mark the beginning of a continuing professional relationship between the Commission and WABMA.



The Master Class provided participants with practical exposure to emerging trends in Artificial Intelligence, Digital storytelling, Fact-checking, Misinformation management, Strategic corporate communication and Contemporary media engagement, with emphasis on their application to public-sector communication. Resource persons from WABMA took the participants through a gamut of professional tutoring, experience-sharing, life application and global excursion in strategic communication.