EFCC offers whistleblowers 5% reward to uncover stolen Nigerian assets abroad

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is seeking whistleblowers with knowledge of stolen Nigerian assets abroad to provide information, offering rewards of 2.5% to 5% of the recovered assets. EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede announced this during a lecture at the 43rd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2026.

Whistleblowers who supply information leading to the recovery of Nigerian assets worldwide could receive between 2.5% and 5% of the recovered value, with substantial rewards for significant recoveries. Olukoyede emphasized the financial incentive aims to encourage individuals to report stolen assets, potentially resulting in million-dollar rewards.

This is not the first time the Nigerian government has used financial incentives to encourage the disclosure of information leading to the recovery of stolen funds; a recovery of up to N1 billion previously attracted a 5% reward. However, the whistleblower policy has also faced controversy regarding the protection and treatment of individuals who provide information to the government.

Since Olukoyede took office less than three years ago, the EFCC has already forfeited over $500 million in cash and assets to the Nigerian government, attributing these recoveries to the efforts of investigators, the judiciary, and credible intelligence. The recovered funds have become a significant source of government financing, with recently directed funds being allocated to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to support the Federal Government's student loan programme.