Public officers stealing Nigeria’s money every minute – EFCC boss

The Chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has warned that public officials are stealing the country's money every minute. Speaking at the 80th birthday celebration of former Attorney-General, Kanu Agabi, in Abuja, Olukoyede revealed that the EFCC receives over 20,000 corruption petitions annually, most of which are shocking in their nature.

"I receive over 20,000 petitions in a year in respect to public corruption, all terrible. What is going on? Like every minute, public officers take money, and if you go through some of our case files you will weep," he lamented.

Olukoyede highlighted the devastating impact of corruption on Nigeria, noting that public officers often begin their tenure with less than N100,000 in their accounts, yet after three years, the EFCC manages to trace millions of dollars to them. He accused some of these officials of building hundreds of houses while still in office.

The EFCC boss emphasized that corruption is the bane of Nigeria's progress and urged public officers to account for their actions, emphasizing the necessity of accountability and transparency in public service.