By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption agency has announced the dismissal of 27 officers from its workforce over various offences bordering on fraudulent activities and misconduct, a spokesman said on Monday.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not, however, disclose the identities of the officers affected by the sack.
Their dismissal follows the recommendation of the Commission’s Staff Disciplinary Committee and the ratification by the Chairman of the agency, Ola Olukoyede, the spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement.
“Every modicum of allegation against any staff of the Commission would always be investigated, including a trending $400,000 claim of a yet-to-be-identified supposed staff of the EFCC against a Sectional Head.
“The core values of the Commission are sacrosanct and would always be held in optimal regard at all times,” part of the statement reads.
The Commission also alerted the public to the sinister activities of impersonators and blackmailers using the name of its chairman to extort money from high-profile suspects.
“Two members of an alleged syndicate, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, were recently arraigned before Justice Jude Onwuebuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, for allegedly contacting a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, and demanding $1 million from him for ‘Olukoyede to give him soft landing’ on a non-existent investigation. Such characters are still on the loose, seeking victims.
“Olukoyede remains a man of integrity that cannot be swayed by monetary influences. The public is enjoined to always report such disreputable elements to the Commission,” the statement added.
In November, the Commission also dismissed two of its officials over alleged involvement in corruption, as part of ongoing reforms within the organisation.
“So many other reforms are going on; the issue of our staff and all of that,” the Commission’s chairman had stated.
The Commission’s officials have been accused of compromise in the prosecution of high-profile corruption cases involving politically exposed persons.
