June 09, (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, declared that corrupt individuals would no longer find refuge in Nigeria as he inaugurated the new Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Zonal Directorate Office in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The President used the occasion to reiterate his administration’s determination to sustain the anti-corruption war through stronger institutions, improved operational capacity and enhanced support for anti-graft agencies.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the inauguration ceremony, Tinubu stressed that the campaign against corruption must remain organised, sustained and supported by appropriate institutions, effective tools and a conducive working environment.
He described investment in the capacity development and welfare of officers of anti-corruption agencies, particularly the EFCC, as a matter of strategic national importance.
According to him, law enforcement institutions remain central to national development and require adequate infrastructure to function effectively.
“Our law enforcement agencies, which are critical to our collective safety, security, prosperity and general well-being, must have the necessary facilities to enhance their efficiency”, Tinubu said.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening anti-corruption agencies through improved work environments, competitive welfare packages, operational independence and expanded opportunities for training and professional development.
“I am confident that this facility will further motivate EFCC staff to rededicate themselves to combating economic and financial crimes, which remain major obstacles for our nation’s progress,” he said.
Tinubu noted that the EFCC occupies a crucial place in the nation’s economic and security architecture, citing its interventions in combating cybercrime and financial fraud.
“The commission acquires a central position in both our economic growth and our national security”, he added.
He specifically referenced the commission’s role in dismantling a foreign-controlled cryptocurrency syndicate in Lagos, which reportedly led to the conviction of 192 foreign nationals in a single operation.
Tinubu further commended the anti-graft agency for helping to preserve and recover resources that support key social intervention initiatives of the Federal Government, including the student loan programme and consumer credit scheme.
He also pointed to recent high-profile corruption prosecutions involving a former minister and a former managing director of a national investment bank, saying such convictions send a strong message that accountability remains non-negotiable.
“The EFCC’s recent prosecution of several high-profile corruption cases sends a clear message that there are no hiding places for the corrupt”, he said.
The President subsequently urged the EFCC and its sister agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to maintain the current momentum in the anti-corruption fight until corruption is drastically reduced in national life.
Earlier, Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, described the commissioning of the zonal office as part of the commission’s statutory responsibility to deepen the anti-corruption campaign and bring enforcement closer to the people of Ekiti and Ondo States, as well as neighbouring communities.
According to him, the commission had previously experienced challenges in effectively covering both states due to overlapping responsibilities among distant zonal commands.
“For many years, coverage of Ekiti and Ondo States by the commission was a little more than perfunctory owing to the overlap in responsibility by distant zones, which left gaps in our enforcement framework,” Olukoyede said.
He expressed optimism that the new facility would close those gaps and strengthen the commission’s operational reach in the zone.
“The chink is now permanently covered with this modern office complex. With this investment, I want to pledge that fraudsters would have no hiding places in the zone,” he added.
Also speaking, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, said the establishment of the office would improve the commission’s administrative capacity and ease the burden previously faced by victims of financial crimes seeking justice.
He noted that distance and repeated travel had discouraged many victims from pursuing cases.
“Because of the distance involved, many of our people who have been victims of financial crimes have had to lick their wounds quietly because of having to make repeated trips to far distances to pursue justice. With the completion and commissioning of this complex, it is our hope that all of those challenges are now a thing of the past”, Oyebanji said.
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