Abuja, Nigeria – The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has declared that Nigerians possess the collective power to defeat economic and financial crimes if they unite against corruption. The anti-graft czar made this assertion in his Eid-el-Fitr goodwill message released on Sunday through the Commission's spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.
Olukoyede emphasized that the fight against corruption requires courage and sustained commitment from all citizens. "Nigerians are stronger than corruption. No corrupt act can break our common resolve and determination," he stated, assuring the public that the EFCC's anti-corruption campaign is gaining momentum. "We have all it takes to confront and conquer economic and financial crimes," he added, highlighting the agency's strengthened capacity to combat illicit financial activities.
The EFCC boss extended his congratulations to the Muslim faithful, urging them to sustain the virtuous lessons of Ramadan beyond the holy month. He specifically called on Nigerians to internalize the values of "self-denial, discipline, sacrifice, love and purity" cultivated during Ramadan as antidotes to corrupt practices.
"At Eid-el-Fitr, Allah's benevolence and sacrifice are greatly magnified. May the lessons of love, peace, joy and celebration of the festival abide in us and may they imbue in us greater desire to shun corrupt practices," Olukoyede remarked. His message tied religious morality to national integrity, framing the rejection of corruption as both a civic duty and spiritual obligation.
The statement comes amid the EFCC's intensified anti-graft operations across Nigeria. Recent months have seen high-profile arrests, asset recoveries, and ongoing prosecutions of suspects involved in financial crimes. Olukoyede's Eid message strategically reinforces public confidence in the Commission's work while mobilizing citizen participation – a critical success factor given Nigeria's ranking as 145th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index.
As Nigerians celebrate the end of Ramadan, the EFCC chairman's charge presents a moral framework for national renewal, positioning the fight against corruption as a collective endeavor requiring both institutional rigor and individual ethical commitment.
