NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the agency is currently investigating 18 sitting governors across Nigeria for alleged financial misconduct.
Olukoyede made the disclosure on Friday during a sensitisation programme held in Lagos, aimed at educating stakeholders such as movie producers and Bureau de Change operators on the dangers of naira abuse, mutilation, and other financial crimes.
According to the EFCC boss, despite the constitutional immunity granted to governors while in office, the agency does not wait for their tenures to end before initiating investigations. He noted that once their immunity lapses, the EFCC will take necessary legal steps to prosecute those found culpable.
“As I’m speaking, we are investigating about 18 governors who are still serving,” Olukoyede said. “When they leave office, we will proceed to the next stage.”
In illustrating the EFCC’s firm stance, Olukoyede shared a startling incident involving a former Nigerian governor. He recounted how the ex-governor, who had been under EFCC scrutiny, fled to the United Kingdom the day after handing over power.
Coincidentally, the same week marked the former governor’s birthday, which he celebrated lavishly at a hotel in London. During the party, the former governor was seen spraying £50 and £10 notes, a bizarre act that drew the attention of the hotel management.
Shocked by the display, the hotel manager reportedly called emergency services, suspecting the ex-governor was mentally unstable. When UK police arrived, they attempted to detain him. However, his associates, including two sitting Nigerian governors, intervened and convinced the authorities that the former leader was not suffering from a mental breakdown.
Olukoyede used the example to highlight the extreme lengths some political figures go to in avoiding scrutiny and accountability, stressing the EFCC’s commitment to tackling corruption irrespective of political status or office.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the EFCC chairman reiterated the agency’s resolve to enforce financial discipline and uphold the rule of law, warning public officeholders that no one is above investigation or accountability.
