Looters Budget N7bn Stolen Funds To Weaken Tinubu, EFCC Anti-Corruption Fight–Coalition

….Leads Solidarity Rally, VowsTo Resist Alleged Conspiracy Against Anti-Corruption War

…Rejects N100m Bribe To Blackmail EFCC, Tinubu

Thousands of Nigerians on Monday stormed the streets of Abuja under the banner of the National Interest Coalition (NICO) to protest an alleged plot by some embattled government officials to blackmail the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and derail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anti-corruption war.

The protest, which followed a world press conference, kicked off in the Central Area and moved through the Three Arms Zone — home to the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court — before ending at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi.

Led by Comrade Bashir Abdu, the protesters carried placards and banners in solidarity with the EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, and President Tinubu.

Officials of EFCC that received the members of National Interest Coalition on solidarity march to EFCC headquarters are Director Administration, Director Human Resources and Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman

They chanted anti-corruption slogans and declared that Nigerians would resist any attempt to weaken the anti-graft campaign.

At the EFCC headquarters, the coalition submitted a petition condemning what it described as a grand conspiracy to destabilise the Commission’s leadership.

The group alleged that some serving top officials, already facing corruption-related cases and their allies, have perfected plans to spend N5bn of stolen public funds on a smear campaign against the EFCC and the Presidency.

According to the group, the plot involves orchestrated media propaganda, sponsorship of negative narratives at home and abroad, and secret funding of dissident journalists through offshore accounts.

“We have uncovered the evil plot by some current occupiers of top government positions to attack the EFCC chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, and derail President Tinubu’s anti-corruption war,” NCIO said.

“Their sole intention is to weaken the fight against corruption so they can escape justice,” they added.

The coalition further alleged that its members were offered N100m to join the plan but refused.

The protesters passed a vote of confidence on Tinubu and Olukoyede, pointing to the Commission’s record of achievements in the past two years.

They noted that in 2024 alone, the EFCC secured 4,111 convictions, the highest since the agency’s creation in 2003, from over 15,000 petitions and more than 12,000 investigations.

During his tenure as Chairman of the EFCC, the group said Olukeyede has achieved notable successes in implementing the Commission’s goals and the President’s agenda to combat corruption in Nigeria.

The group said, “Olukoyede’s EFCC charged four former state governors—Yahaya Adoza Bello (Kogi), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Willie Obiano (Anambra), and Darius Dickson Ishaku (Taraba)—to court for alleged corruption between October 2023 and October 2024.

“These cases mark significant steps in holding politically exposed persons accountable, a historically challenging area for the EFCC.

“In April 2024, Olukoyede handed over 14 properties recovered by the EFCC to the Enugu State government. These properties, initially forfeited to the federal government, were returned to benefit the people of Enugu, demonstrating collaboration between federal and state entities.

“In September 2024, the EFCC, under Olukoyede’s leadership, returned €5,100 to a Spanish victim of a Nigerian romance fraudster, incollaboration with the Spanish Police, showcasing international cooperation in asset recovery.

“In December 2024, the EFCC seized over 750 properties in a large housing estate in Abuja linked to a former high-ranking government official, aligning with efforts to prevent corrupt officials from benefiting from illicit proceeds.”

The group added further that in May 2025, Olukoyede received a Certificate of Recognition from the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria for his contributions to combating transnational crimes, including financial fraud, vehicle trafficking, online exploitation, and drug smuggling.

” His leadership in ‘Operation HotWheels’ a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service, disrupted a major vehicle trafficking network, strengthening Nigeria-Canada security ties.

“As President of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), Olukoyede led the 6th Annual General Assembly in August 2024, advancing regional anti-corruption initiatives and implementing the ECOWAS Protocol on fighting corruption. Already in this September 2025, Olukoyede called for global collaboration to combat cross-border economic crimes at a Cambridge University symposium, highlighting the EFCC’s success in joint operations with agencies like the FBI, Canadian Mounted Royal Police, and Interpol.

“Olukoyede prioritized fraud prevention by reintroducing the Inter-faith Manual for Christian and Islamic faiths, launched on January 31, 2023, to guide religious leaders in promoting anti-corruption values among their followers,” they added.

He was also said to have introduced the Fraud Risk Assessment Prevention template for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to curb resource theft and enhance accountability in public institutions vulnerable to fraud.

The coalition stated further, “In March 2025, Olukoyede launched Integrity Clubs in eleven secondary schools to instill ethical values in young Nigerians, a proactive strategy to combat corruption from an early age. Olukoyede collaborated with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to enhance lawyers’ compliance with Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regulations, leading to the establishment of the NBA Anti-Money Laundering Committee in 2024.

“In June 2025, he urged compliance officers in Nigeria’s banking sector to adopt technology-driven measures to combat financial crimes, noting the role of AI in both detecting and enabling fraud.

“He cited EFCC investigations uncovering a cryptocurrency investment fraud syndicate and a romance scam involving foreign nationals. In February 2025, Olukoyede alerted Nigerians to the establishment of organized foreign fraud syndicates in Nigerian cities, recruiting youths into cybercrimes like cryptocurrency fraud.

“He mandated NGOs in the Northeast to register with the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) to curb illicit financial flows.

“The EFCC, under his leadership, achieved breakthroughs in investigating and prosecuting the CBEX investment scam, demonstrating progress in tackling virtual asset fraud. In July 2025, Olukoyede tasked the House of Representatives to ensure the success of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) by establishing a NELFund Desk at the EFCC for swift information sharing and oversight to prevent fraud.

“In August 2025, he charged newly appointed heads of federal agencies to embrace transparency and accountability, emphasizing preventive interventions alongside punitive measures. Olukoyede sustained the use of the EFCC’s “Eagle Eye App,” launched in 2021, to simplify reporting of financial crimes, reflecting his commitment to technology-driven anti-corruption efforts.

“The EFCC’s social media presence, under his leadership, has been active in public enlightenment, as seen in posts addressing fraud prevention and dismissing false claims, such as debunking a fake list of 30 corruptgovernors in August 2025. Olukoyede consistently urged Nigerians to embrace transparency and accountability, speaking at events like the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) conference in September 2025, where he called on the media to intensify anti-corruption campaigns,” they added.

They also commended the President for granting the EFCC independence to operate without political interference, unlike in past administrations.

According to the coalition, Tinubu’s reforms — from tightening fiscal controls to empowering anti-graft agencies — have restored integrity to governance and laid the foundation for economic recovery.

“Mr. President has made the tough decisions, and today we are seeing the results,” the group said. “Prices of goods and services are stabilising, confidence is returning, and the worst is behind us. Nigeria is on the march again, and we must not allow corruption to drag us backwards.” NCIO said.

Looters Budget N7bn Stolen Funds To Weaken Tinubu, EFCC Anti-Corruption Fight–Coalition is first published on The Whistler Newspaper