Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,( EFCC) Mr. Ola Olukoyede has said his 34 months of commitment and passionate engagement in the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption in the Commission have led to the convictions of 14,476 criminals and recovery of over N1.2 trillion and $684 million
Speaking at a media briefing held in Abuja on Monday August 31, 2026, where he presented his score card, he affirmed that the aagency received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions.
The EFCC boss noted that this gave a conviction-to-filing ratio of 75.1 per cent. In the first half of 2026 alone, with recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 filings
Olukoyede who recalled the promises he made at his confirmation before the National Assembly said, “We have kept faith with the agenda of proper focusing on the mandate of the EFCC in the overall interests of Nigerians, using the instrumentality of the anti-graft war to stimulate growth in the economy, adherence to the rule of law, commitment to transactional credits, building the image of Nigeria and optimizing foreign direct investments.”
He noted further that the past 34 months have been a period of sustained enforcement, institutional reform, prosecution, asset recovery, restitution and stronger collaboration at home and abroad.
Enumerating the outcomes of the efforts, he said, “between October 2023 and July 2026, the Commission received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions. This gives a conviction-to-filing ratio of 75.1 per cent. In the first half of 2026 alone, we recorded 1,370 convictions from 1,889 filings.”
These results, according him reflected diligence, resilience and a prosecutorial approach anchored on evidence and courtroom outcomes.
Relying on available data to drive his argument, Olukoyede said data from petitions and case analysis provided an indication of the shifting trends in the financial crime threat landscape.
“Our 2024 to 2026 year-to-date category data recorded 46,288 offences across nine major typologies. Advance fee fraud and cybercrime together, represented nearly two-thirds of recorded offences. However, between 2024 and 2025, total recorded offences rose by 24.1 per cent, with notable increases in procurement fraud, bank fraud,” he submitted.
On cybercrime and economic-governance offences, he that the fight against economic and financial crime is not only about grand corruption. He argued that citizens, businesses and institutions are protected from fraud, cyber-enabled crime and other forms of economic exploitation.
He explained that the Commission has at the same time, continued to pursue complex and high-profile matters without regard to status. He said the high-profile case portfolio spans former governors, ministers and other public office holders, heads of agencies, financial-sector operators and corporate officials.
“Recently,” he affirmed, “the Commission secured convictions of some high profile Nigerians including Saleh Mamman, Robert Orya, and Chukwunyere Nwabuoku.”
In line with the commitment of the agency, the EFCC boss insisted that no office or title places anyone beyond the reach of the law,saying, “We will continue to investigate professionally, prosecute on the strength of evidence and allow the courts to determine guilt or innocence.”
On Specialised Enforcement Portfolio vis-a-vis, money laundering, Bureaux de Change, Virtual Assets, etc, he said the agency’s specialised enforcement portfolio further demonstrates the breadth of this work. Across money laundering, unlicensed bureaux de change, illegal mining, virtual assets and terrorist financing, the
He reported that the Commission recorded 920 cases, with 212 convictions secured and a substantial active pipeline of investigations and prosecutions. Money laundering and unlicensed bureau de change cases account for the largest share of this portfolio. We are also responding to emerging risks in virtual assets and illicit financial flows from the extractive sector.
On Asset Recovery, Olukayode said that asset recovery has been another major pillar of his stewardship. Between October 1, 2023 and 30 June 2026, he reported that the Commission recorded recoveries of ₦1, 233,612,040,411.11, $684.478,457.32, £373,905.78, € 9,343,803.66 in addition to recoveries in other currencies.
Of the naira amount, approximately ₦397.26billion (33%) represented direct recoveries for the Federal Government, while ₦836.34billion(67%) represented indirect recoveries made on behalf of ministries, departments and agencies, state revenue services, companies, individuals and foreign victims.
He noted that two out of every three naira recovered, were on behalf of beneficiaries other than the Federal Government.
On where the money recovered goes, the EFCC boss who said recovery is only truly meaningful when value is returned to the public interest and to rightful beneficiaries, said,”During the period, ₦661.32 billion and US$492.37 million were released to beneficiaries. The naira releases included about ₦325.35 billion paid directly to individuals and corporate bodies.
“Similarly, ₦335.97 billion was released to various MDA’s, Nigerian Revenue Service and States internal revenue services, alongside releases to other public institutions, companies and individuals.”
He added that the agency’s continuing priority is to make restitution faster, more transparent and more efficient.
He added that the recovery delivers Fiscal Value to federal and subnational governments
According to him, “There is also a significant revenue-mobilisation dimension to our work. Federal and state tax recoveries amounted to approximately ₦288.1 billion over the period, including about ₦173.2 billion in federal tax recoveries and ₦114.9 billion attributed to States’ Internal Revenue Services.
“This is fiscal value recovered through enforcement of existing obligations, not through the imposition of new taxes. In addition, approximately ₦257.2 billion in naira recoveries were recorded for federal ministries, departments and agencies, demonstrating how anticorruption enforcement can reinforce the revenue capacity of the government.”
Arguing that the national impact of recovery is perhaps clearest when proceeds of crime are converted into productive social investment, he affirmed that in August 2024, the Federal Government directed that ₦50 billion each be allocated to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation from proceeds of crime recovered by the EFCC. Further NELFUND and Credit Corp funding from EFCC recoveries (50Billion Naira each) was subsequently approved in 2026.
He positioned that when recovered criminal value helps finance education and household credit, enforcement moves beyond punishment to restoration and productive national use.
According to him a recovered property, NOK University was converted to a Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State where a total of 1,909 students matriculated in December 2025.
These students, according to the EFCC boss, ordinarily would not have been afforded the opportunity of tertiary education. He added that the impact of the institution on the local economy of Southern Kaduna cannot be over emphasized. In addition, he said another private university of High-Value has just been finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
Taken together, Olukoyede noted that these outcomes tell a larger story. Insisting that Anti-corruption enforcement can restore fiscal space, strengthen federal and sub-national revenue, return working capital to institutions, companies and citizens, support financial-market integrity, protect the extractive and digital economies and strengthen Nigeria’s international credibility.
Beyond cash, the executive Chairman of the anti-graft agency said the Commission secured the forfeiture of 10,053 tangible assets under interim and final court orders between October 2023 and July 2026. These included 8,198 electronic items, 1,177 realestate assets, 370 automobiles, 251 plots of land, as well as schools, factories, hotels, shops, oil rigs, barges, machinery and Aircraft.
The commission also recorded the forfeiture of 102 tonnes of solid minerals.
He confirmed that proceeds from disposal under final forfeiture orders amounted to approximately ₦12.07 billion and were paid to the Federal Government.
On collaboration, Olukoyede said that he milestones recorded by the Commission over the past three years may not have been possible without the support of our partners. The EFCC boss who agreed that organised crime is increasing in sophistication and cut across national borders and jurisdiction,noted that cooperation of international law enforcement organisations is inevitable at tackling it.
“At the EFCC, collaboration is central to our mandate. Domestically, we work with law-enforcement agencies, regulators, the judiciary, ministries, departments and agencies, and state revenue authorities
“Internationally, our cooperation extends to partners including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the Royal, Canadian Mounted Police, INTERPOL and other National & International law-enforcement Agencies. Our recoveries span multiple currencies and jurisdictions, and we have returned recovered assets to foreign entities and individuals.
“At the sub regional level, I was re-elected President of the Network of National Anti-corruption Institutions in West Africa, NACIWA, for another term of three years. With heads of anti-corruption agencies in West Africa as members, NACIWA has become a platform for regional dialogue on asset recovery, financial crimes enforcement and institutional strengthening in the sub region,” Olukoyede said.
