The Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that 18 sitting state governors are currently under investigation for alleged corruption and related offences.
Olukoyede made this statement on Friday during an event in Lagos focused on discouraging the public from mutilating and abusing the naira.
He explained that while investigations can and do begin during a governor’s tenure, significant enforcement action is often taken after the governor leaves office, when constitutional immunity ends.
He recounted a notable case involving a former governor who fled Nigeria for the United Kingdom immediately after handing over power, in an attempt to evade arrest by the EFCC.
Describing the incident, Olukoyede said the ex-governor organized a birthday celebration at his hotel in the UK shortly after arrival.
During the event, he began spraying large denominations of British pounds, an act that alarmed the hotel manager, who subsequently called emergency services, mistaking the governor’s behaviour for a sign of mental instability. The Metropolitan Police responded, and only intervention by the governor’s associates, including two other Nigerian governors, convinced authorities that the individual was not mentally unwell.
Olukoyede emphasized that the EFCC does not wait until an official’s term ends before launching investigations but refrains from making arrests or prosecutions due to constitutional protections.
He assured the public that the agency is committed to holding public officials accountable and will proceed with prosecutions when the law allows.
This revelation comes amid growing public concern over corruption and financial mismanagement within Nigeria’s political leadership, highlighting the EFCC’s role in promoting transparency and accountability.
