EFCC Investigating 18 Sitting Governors, Says Chairman Ola Olukoyede

By Emmanuel Kwada

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, revealed on Friday that the anti-graft agency is currently investigating 18 sitting governors for alleged financial crimes. The announcement was made during a sensitisation programme in Lagos focused on the dangers of naira mutilation and abuse.

Olukoyede disclosed that the EFCC does not wait until governors complete their tenures before launching investigations. “As I’m talking to you, I’m investigating about 18 governors who are still serving. When they leave office, we will go to the next level,” he stated, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to holding public officials accountable.

The EFCC boss also recounted a striking incident involving a former Nigerian governor who fled to the United Kingdom the day after his tenure ended to evade arrest. According to Olukoyede, the ex-governor, while celebrating his birthday in a London hotel, began spraying pound notes—£50 and £10 bills—prompting the hotel manager to alert the authorities.

“The manager had never seen such a thing in his life, so he had to call 911,” Olukoyede said. When the Metropolitan Police arrived, they attempted to detain the former governor, initially mistaking his actions for erratic behavior.

As I’m talking to you, I’m investigating about 18 governors who are still serving. When they leave office, we will go to the next level

“The hotel manager thought he was mad,” Olukoyede recounted. The ex-governor’s friends, including two serving governors who had traveled to London for the celebration, intervened to clarify that he was not mentally unstable. Olukoyede’s remarks underscore the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption among high-ranking officials, signaling that investigations will intensify once governors lose their constitutional immunity after leaving office.

The agency continues to prioritize transparency and accountability in its fight against economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.

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