By Ifeyinwa Ogwo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned the new Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Zonal Directorate complex in Awka, Anambra State, describing the facility as part of efforts to strengthen the commission’s operations and expand its reach in the Southeast. The facility, commissioned on October 2, will serve Anambra and Imo states.
Represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, President Tinubu commended the EFCC leadership for its efforts in the fight against corruption, noting that the commission’s activities were critical to advancing economic reforms and promoting good governance. He said decentralising the commission’s operations in the southeast would extend its presence and impact across different sectors of society.
The president assured the EFCC of the federal government’s continued support and an enabling environment to effectively discharge its mandate. He added that strengthening the commission would help build confidence among businesses to operate without fear of corruption and other financial crimes.
Speaking at the ceremony, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, welcomed the President, Imo State Governor and other dignitaries to the state, describing the establishment of the EFCC directorate in Awka as a welcome development. He said the presence of the commission would strengthen the fight against economic and financial crimes and promote law and order, while pledging collaboration in taxation, revenue collection and training of local government officials and civil servants on procurement procedures.
Soludo, recalling his experience as a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said he had once been invited by the EFCC for questioning after leaving office, but that no evidence was filed against him following the investigation. He urged the commission to always provide feedback to persons invited for interrogation and commended its professionalism.
Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, thanked President Tinubu for establishing the directorate in Awka, saying it would reduce the burden of travelling to Abuja or Lagos for official engagements with the Commission. He also requested the establishment of a smaller EFCC office in Imo State to further bring the commission’s services closer to residents.
Earlier, EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, said the new facility would expand the commission’s operational capacity, improve public access to its services and strengthen collaboration with Nigerians in the fight against economic and financial crimes. He commended Governor Soludo for providing the facility, describing it as an expression of confidence in the commission’s ability to contribute to the state’s development.
Olukoyede disclosed that between October 2023 and July, the commission received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions, representing a 75.1 per cent conviction-to-filing ratio. He added that the commission recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 filings in the first half of 2026 and recovered N1.233 trillion, $684.48 million, £373,905.78 and €9.34 million, alongside other currencies.
He said the commission had also introduced policies on gifts and hospitality, conflict of interest and exhibit-room security, while restructuring its Affairs Department into the Ethics and Integrity Department as part of its internal reforms. Olukoyede assured that the Awka Zonal Directorate would justify its establishment through professionalism and commitment to the EFCC’s mandate, contributing to a safer environment for legitimate businesses, investment and prosperity in Anambra, Imo and Nigeria.
Ifeyinwa Ogwo is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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