Hundreds of Nigerians on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Abuja to kick against an alleged plot by highly placed persons to scuttle the campaign by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tackle corrupt practices in the polity.
The protesters, under the aegis of the National Interest Coalition (NICO), brandished placards as they marched through the Abuja Airport road, through the CITEC estate to the headquarters of the EFCC situated in Jabi, to register their anger over the alleged development.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “Nigerians in support of President Tinubu’s anti-corruption fight,” “Nigerians are behind Olanipekun Olukayode-led EFCC fight against corruption,” and “Anti-corruption war, we support EFCC.”
Comrade Bashir Abdu, who later briefed reporters on behalf of the protesters, argued that those behind the grand plot have the sole intention of derailing President Bola Tinubu and EFCC’s resolve to fight corruption to its barest minimum so that development, equity, and transparency can thrive in the country, which has been held still by the menace.
According to them, those behind the plot have deployed billions of stolen public funds to blackmail the EFCC leadership and to divert attention from the ongoing investigations that have exposed their dirty dealings in positions of power.
They therefore called on President Tinubu to remain steadfast, undistracted, and unyielding, and the EFCC and their leadership must not be cowed, intimidated, and no thief—no matter how highly placed—must be allowed to escape justice.
They equally called on civil society groups, labour unions, student associations, religious bodies, the media, and patriotic Nigerians at home and abroad to defend Nigeria’s future.
They argued that since May 29, 2023, the Tinubu administration has made unprecedented strides in strengthening the anti-corruption framework and reforming the criminal justice system.
Among the key milestones is granting the EFCC and ICPC free hands to investigate and prosecute powerful individuals without political interference, including those holding top government positions and heads of government business organisations.
It includes overhauling the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and other fiscal controls to block leakages and wastage of public funds, expanding the use of technology in revenue generation and monitoring to curb corruption in tax administration, ports, and customs, as well as strengthening the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to ensure faster trials, discourage frivolous adjournments, and guarantee that corruption cases no longer drag endlessly in court.
They added: “Promoting inter-agency collaboration that allows the EFCC, ICPC, CCB, NFIU, and law enforcement to operate in synergy. These reforms have rekindled public confidence that, at last, Nigeria may be on the path to real accountability. Similarly, under the able leadership of Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, the EFCC has recorded landmark achievements within a short period. These include: Recovery of billions of naira in stolen assets and funds, some of which have already been returned to victims of fraud and to government coffers.
“Launching a crackdown on internet fraudsters and financial crimes, with hundreds of convictions secured across various courts in the country. Prosecution of high-profile politically exposed persons sending a strong message that there are no longer sacred cows.
“Establishing a more victim-focused compensation system, where fraud victims now benefit directly from EFCC’s recovery efforts. Driving institutional reforms within the Commission to improve efficiency, professionalism, and transparency. For the first time in many years, Nigerians are seeing renewed energy in high-profile investigations, asset recoveries, and the fearless pursuit of powerful persons who once believed themselves untouchable. This has sent a clear signal: the era of business as usual is over.
“But as always, corruption fights back! Today, credible reports confirm that some embattled men—individuals already facing corruption-related cases, some of whom still occupy sensitive positions in government—have drawn up a grand conspiracy to frustrate this anti-corruption crusade. These desperate men, terrified of the long arm of the law, are now deploying billions of stolen public funds to blackmail the EFCC leadership, to undermine President Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive, and to destabilize this government.
“Their tactics are clear: Orchestrated media attacks designed to smear the name of the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Olukoyede, and weaken public trust in the Commission.”
