RismadarVoice Reporters
February 18, 2026
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among anti-corruption agencies to achieve greater success in tackling corruption in Nigeria.
Olukoyede made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the EFCC and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The CCB delegation was led by its Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello.
Describing corruption and financial crimes as major drivers of poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and underdevelopment in the country, Olukoyede said a united front among anti-graft institutions was critical to reversing Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
“All of us are key players in the anti-corruption fight. One of the major problems behind poverty, hunger, lack of infrastructure and underdevelopment in Nigeria is financial crimes and corruption. If we work together as a team and confront it frontally, we can take Nigeria out of this mess,” he said.
He stressed that anti-corruption agencies must complement one another rather than compete, adding that sincerity of purpose and synergy were essential to achieving meaningful impact.
Olukoyede expressed satisfaction with the formalization of cooperation through the MoU, noting that both agencies had previously enjoyed exchanges of intelligence, technical collaboration, and administrative support. He urged both institutions to fully operationalize the agreement to strengthen institutional collaboration.
In a direct message to the CCB Chairman, the EFCC boss encouraged courage and resilience in carrying out anti-corruption duties, reminding him of the Bureau’s statutory powers to investigate, freeze, and confiscate assets, as well as prosecute offenders.
“You can’t be doing this kind of work and people will fall in love with you, unless you are not doing it well. Be ready to be called names and abused. What is important is that we make an impact,” Olukoyede said.
Earlier, Dr. Bello described the MoU as a significant milestone in the CCB’s anti-corruption efforts, stating that it reflects deepened partnership and cooperation between the two agencies.
He explained that while the CCB enforces ethical standards in public service through asset declaration, verification, and compliance monitoring, the EFCC leads investigations and prosecutions of economic and financial crimes.
“Corruption cannot be defeated in silos. You cannot do it alone. Through this MoU, we commit to secure intelligence and information sharing,” Bello said.
He noted that the CCB maintains a comprehensive database of assets and liabilities declared by public servants, describing it as a rich intelligence resource that can support EFCC investigations.
Other areas of collaboration outlined in the agreement include joint investigations and operational support, coordinated asset tracing and recovery, capacity building and training, technological collaboration for improved case management, and unified public education campaigns.
“As we sign this MoU, let us signal a new era of united, effective action against corruption in Nigeria,” Bello added.
