The Latin phrase, “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” meaning “Who watches the watchmen,” a phrase found in ‘The Satires,’ a work of the 1st–2nd-century Roman poet, Juvenal, comes to mind in analysing the activities of Nigeria’s leading anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and its erstwhile chairmen whose ending have usually been unpalatable.
While the poet was questioning the integrity of guards posted to ensure his wife’s fidelity; more recently the phrase has been generalised to challenge authorities, the activities of regulators, and the schemes of quality assurances.
The rise and fall of Olukoyede’s predecessors always came as a surprise as some of them were alleged to have had their hands caught in the cookie jar, despite being chief watchdogs.
A statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, last week Thursday read that he “approved the appointment of Mr Olukoyede to serve as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.”
Shortly afterward, the traditional and social media went agog with narratives for and against Olukoyede’s appointment. The reasons, however, were not farfetched.
In the few months after it began operations under its pioneer chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the commission led an effective campaign, dismantling the empires of the renowned 419 (fraudsters) kingpins previously perceived to be untouchable. Despite being reappointed for another term in 2007, Ribadu was removed from office and eventually dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force by the Police Service Commission. However, Ribadu had claimed that the decision to dismiss him from the Nigeria Police Force was reversed and his rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police restored.
His three substantive successors—Mrs Farida Waziri, Ibrahim Lamorde, Ibrahim Magu, and Abdulrasheed Bawa—have faced a similar fate since then, raising questions about whether the office is laced with a spell of bitter ending.
Some who served in an acting capacity, like Ibrahim Magu, were embattled until their abrupt removal from office.
Though a younger sister agency to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (formed in the year 2000), the EFCC, which began operations in April 2003, is currently the face of the anti-graft war in Africa’s largest economy.
Since the establishment of the EFCC in 2003 to investigate financial crimes in Nigeria, the agency has been enmeshed in controversy, partly for its approach to fighting corruption, which experts have described as “selective” and for the character of persons that steer its affairs.
Nuhu Ribadu – the pioneer Chairperson of the EFCC starting his tenure in 2003 at the instance of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, became the poster boy for Nigeria’s attempt to redeem its image before the international community a few years after the return to democratic rule.
During his time as EFCC chairman, Ribadu, who was a career law enforcement officer with the Nigeria Police Force, failed to appeal a 2007 court ruling that sought to stop the EFCC from investigating alleged financial crimes by former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili. The court also restrained the anti-graft agency from probing the finances of the Rivers State Government, which has continued to be in effect to date.
In 2016, Ribadu, while presenting the lead paper at the 2016 annual lecture organised by the Law Chambers of Joe Gadzama in Abuja, said some prominent lawyers in the country deliberately prevented him from waging a war against corrupt former governors and politicians because of their interests.
He revealed, “Many of them teamed up with politicians to wage very serious propaganda to discredit the work we were doing…Take the case of Mr Michael Aondoakaa, whose most cardinal agenda as the AGF seemed to be destroying the EFCC by every means possible and frustrating all the cases.”
Ribadu, however, fell out of favour with the powers that be in December 2007 and was forced out of office two weeks after he tried to prosecute a powerful former Delta State governor, James Ibori, who was a close associate of Obasanjo’s successor in office, late ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua.
In a widely publicised ousting, Ribadu was forced out of a graduation ceremony by security operatives at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State. He was demoted by the police and then retired.
Farida Waziri’s appointment in May 2008 shortly after Nuhu Ribadu was booted out was clouded by allegations that she was sponsored by ex-governors such as Ibori and former governor of Benue State, George Akume, to cover up their money laundering and fraud charges before the commission.
Waziri, the first and yet only woman to have led the affairs of the anti-graft agency since its inception, failed to secure convictions for high-profile cases involving former governors already instituted by her predecessor.
Her appointment, according to reports at the time, was said to be at the instance of a former governor of Kwara State, Ibori, and Akume (now Secretary to the Government of the Federation); all of whom had corruption cases with the EFCC.
She allegedly issued letters of official clearance to Ibori, who has since been convicted of fraud and money laundering in the United Kingdom despite Nigeria’s failure to do so. Waziri also reportedly issued clearance to Victor Attah, former governor of Akwa-Ibom State, who was at a point, wanted in the UK.
Her tumultuous reign as czar of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency caused international donors and partners to hesitate in dealing with the country. In one incident, former American Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders, walked out of a meeting with the then Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Madueke, because of Waziri’s presence.
Waziri was, however, sacked by former President Goodluck Jonathan on November 23, 2011. Jonathan cited “national interest” as the reason for her dismissal.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that her removal was not unconnected to her alleged attempts to dismiss cases of corrupt individuals, thereby bringing Nigeria to disrepute in the international community.
Waziri’s successor, Ibrahim Lamorde, who assumed duty on November 23, 2011, in an acting capacity, became embroiled in a controversy in 2015 after the Nigerian Senate alleged that $5bn (£3.2bn) had gone missing at the EFCC.
A Senate committee led by Senator Peter Nwaboshi at the time alleged that Lamorde diverted assets and cash recovered by the commission. The investigative panel was set up at the instance of George Uboh, a prominent whistleblower. Lamorde was consequently sacked by the Buhari administration on November 9, 2015, and replaced with Ibrahim Magu.
Shortly after his sacking, the Nigerian Senate, in February 2016, authorised its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, headed by Senator Sam Anyanwu, to issue a warrant of arrest on Lamorde for allegedly misappropriating N1trn during his time as the head of the anti-corruption agency.
Despite the allegations against him, he was never arrested by former President Buhari’s administration.
Magu, who was first appointed as acting chairman of the commission in November 2015 by former President Buhari, faced the most controversial removal from the office as EFCC boss on July 7, 2020.
The Nigerian Senate refused to confirm Magu as chairman of the agency due to “security reports” by law enforcement agencies in the country. He is also known to have a public spat with Abubakar Malami, Nigeria’s then Attorney-General. Again, the DSS in a 2016 report revealed that Magu was living in a N40m mansion.
“In December 2010, the Police Service Commission found Magu guilty of action prejudicial to state security – withholding of EFCC files, sabotage, unauthorised removal of EFCC files, and acts unbecoming of a police officer and awarded him severe reprimand as punishment.
“Magu is currently occupying a residence rented for N40m at N20m per annum. This accommodation was not paid (for) from the commission’s finances but by one Umar Mohammed, a retired air commodore, a questionable businessman who has subsequently been arrested by the Secret Service.
“For the furnishing of the residence, Magu enlisted the Federal Capital Development Authority to award a contract to Africa Energy, a company owned by the same Mohammed, to furnish the residence at the cost of N43m.
“Investigations show that the acting EFCC chairman regularly embarked on official and private trips through a private jet owned by Mohammed. In one of such trips, Magu flew to Maiduguri alongside Mohammed with a bank MD who was being investigated by the EFCC over complicity in funds allegedly stolen by the immediate past Petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
“Furthermore, the EFCC boss has so far maintained a high-profile lifestyle. This is exemplified by his preference for first-class air travel. On June 24, 2016, he flew Emirate Airlines first-class to Saudi Arabia to perform lesser Hajj at the cost of N2.9m. This is despite Mr President’s directive to all public servants to fly economy class.
“Magu has fostered a beneficial relationship with Mohammed, who by his confession, approaches clients for possible exploitation, favours, and associated returns,” the DSS report said.
Before his suspension, Magu was accused of corruption, insubordination, and abuse of office by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Stemming from Malami’s allegations, Buhari had earlier set up a presidential panel headed by Justice Ayo Salami to probe the various allegations levelled against the then EFCC boss. The panel grilled Magu for hours at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday, July 6, 2020, after he was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force and driven to the Presidential Villa where he was made to answer questions on alleged corruption against him.
He was detained overnight and was suspended from his position as chairman of the agency on July 7 pending the completion of the investigation.
Mohammed Abba, the then director of operations, emerged as the acting chair after Magu’s removal. He was acting until the appointment of Bawa.
Abdulrasheed Bawa, who is currently languishing in the custody of the DSS for over 130 days now since June 14, 2023, was appointed by former President Buhari on February 16, 2021, and was subsequently confirmed by the Senate as substantive Chairman of the EFCC.
In a letter to the former President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, the former President had said he was acting in accordance with Paragraph 2(3) of Part 1, CAP E1 of EFCC Act 2004.
Meanwhile, following President Bola Tinubu’s assumption of office on May 29, 2023, Bawa was suspended, and was consequently arrested on June 14, 2023 after honouring an invitation by the DSS to answer questions on “weighty allegations” against him.
had earlier reported that Bawa was being probed for alleged financial impropriety during his active years in the anti-graft agency.
Sources privy to the development also revealed that the embattled ex-EFCC boss has refused to hire a legal representative despite his continued confinement in the custody of the DSS since June 14, 2023.
It was alleged that Bawa allegedly misappropriated proceeds of assets seized from suspects by the EFCC. It was also alleged that Bawa was arrested and detained by the anti-graft agency in 2019 for purportedly selling at least 244 trucks worth between N20m and N30m each to his cronies at the cost of N100,000 per unit, hence depriving the country of about N4.8bn in potential loot recovery.
Interestingly, it was gathered that the new Chairman of the EFCC Chairman, Olukoyede, in 2019, probed the suspended ex-EFCC boss, Bawa, over alleged sales of seized assets worth over N4.8bn.
Impeccable sources at the anti-graft agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the forfeiture proceedings of most of the trucks were yet to be concluded when Bawa allegedly disposed of them.
“In 2019, Bawa was arrested and questioned over the sale of about 244 trucks that were seized by our Port Harcourt zonal office, where he worked then as the zonal head. That case is one of the major reasons why he was suspended and is being investigated.
“He sold the trucks worth between N20m and N30m each to his proxies at N100,000 per unit, depriving the country of about N4.8bn in potential loot recovery.
“This prompted the former EFCC Secretary (now Chairman), Ola Olukoyede, to confront the EFCC boss in 2019, as he was said to have received complaints that Bawa was tampering with assets undergoing forfeiture proceedings. But when Bawa was queried about what happened to the trucks, he claimed that he was acting on the instructions of the former Chairman, Magu, but he never wrote that in his statement,” a source told this journalist.
Meanwhile, in June, The PUNCH exclusively reported that DSS operatives conducted a thorough search of the Abuja home and office of the suspended EFCC boss. During the week of the search, the DSS also invited Bawa’s close associates in the EFCC for questioning, while the secret police probed them over alleged mismanagement, misappropriation, conspiracy, and diversion of proceeds of sold assets forfeited to the agency.
A source told our correspondent that the search on Bawa’s home in Abuja was carried out on Saturday, June 17, in the presence of his wife and children, adding that his office was also searched on the same day by another set of DSS operatives who presented a search warrant.
“DSS operatives stormed the EFCC Headquarters in Jabi on Saturday to search the office of the suspended chairman. But they presented a search warrant. Another set of DSS operatives also searched Bawa’s home in Gwarinpa, and they met his wife and children in the house during the search,” the source added.
Abdulkarim Chukkol, the agency’s director of operations, emerged as the acting chairman after the removal of Bawa.
However, in October 2023, Olukoyede was confirmed by the Senate as the substantive chairman of the EFCC after the removal of Bawa.
Reacting, a lawyer, Liborous Oshoma said he would go the same way, adding, “The powers of EFCC are too enormous and are subject to abuse. That readily forms the basis for such removal.”
Also, the Chairman of the Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, Enefaa Geogewill, said, “It is unfortunate that over time, political interference has hindered the free flow of the activities of financial crime institutions, especially the EFCC. The bush meat has started hunting the hunter, and that bad spell has a way of hindering even the new EFCC chairman.
“We have been calling that Mr President should allow the EFCC boss, except where there is a clear infraction to complete his tenure. Allow him (Olukoyede) freehand to do his job. Geogewill added, “Equally on the part of the EFCC boss, he shouldn’t use extrajudicial means to do his job. Our laws are clear both for the agents, officials, and the alleged offender, the law is clear to every party, and what is allowed within the law to punish alleged persons.
