EFCC blames corrupt politicians, fraudsters for nation’s bad image abroad

Alleges sharp practices by missions abroad

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has lamented how corrupt activities, allegedly perpetrated by former Governors James Ibori, Joshua Dariye, and the late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, among others harmed the country’s image abroad.

EFCC’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who spoke in Abuja, while delivering a keynote speech at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, added that high-profile fraud involving individuals like Emmanuel Nwude, Ramon Abbas (Hushpuppi) and Ismaila Mustapha (Mompha) also tarnished the country’s image. He highlighted how corrupt activities perpetrated by both Nigerian officials and private citizens had continued to harm the country’s image abroad.

The chairman, who spoke through the Director of Public Affairs of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, pointed out that Nigeria’s image in the international community was largely influenced by factors such as population, natural resource endowment, military strength, political stability, quality of leadership, institutional efficiency, rule of law, and the quality of life of its citizens.

While acknowledging the efforts of Nigerian missions in representing the country’s interests, he stressed that corruption remained a major impediment to their ability to project a positive image.

The EFCC’s boss recounted how Nigeria’s reputation had been tarnished by corruption-related scandals, both locally and internationally. He referred to the 2016 Anti-Corruption Summit in London, where the then British Prime Minister, David Cameron, referred to Nigeria as “fantastically corrupt.”

According to him, such public statements, while undiplomatic, accurately reflect global perceptions of Nigeria. Olukoyede lamented that Nigerian missions abroad were not immune to corruption, citing allegations of unauthorised fees charged for services and poor accountability in the utilisation of funds allocated to the missions. He noted that such practices further damage Nigeria’s reputation and complicate the work of diplomats.

“Additionally, corruption-driven insecurity within Nigeria discourages foreign investment and tourism, while making Nigerians targets of suspicion and persecution at international borders and in other countries”, he said

The EFCC Chairman emphasised the agency’s contributions toward rebuilding Nigeria’s global reputation. This, he noted, included enforcement actions, collaboration with international law enforcement agencies, recovery of stolen assets, extradition of fraud suspects, and providing advisory services to foreign investors.

He noted that the efforts demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to combating corruption and promoting adherence to the rule of law. Olukoyede urged Nigerian missions to complement EFCC’s efforts by providing intelligence on corrupt Nigerians abroad, facilitating connections with foreign law enforcement agencies, assisting in asset recovery, and participating in international agreements aimed at combating illicit financial flows.