The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned Nigerians of alleged plans by politicians and interest groups to launch coordinated smear campaigns against the anti-graft agency and its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
In a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the Commission said it had uncovered plans by “disgruntled elements” with vested interests in suspects currently under investigation or prosecution to sponsor campaigns of calumny against the EFCC.
According to the Commission, those allegedly recruited for the campaign include politicians, academics, so-called civil society activists, and some Nigerian fugitives in the diaspora, who are expected to carry out sponsored media attacks portraying the EFCC as politically biased.
“Their objective is to befuddle the works of the Commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate the Commission into a timid mode, where it will be afraid to investigate opposition politicians for fear of being labelled as partisan,” the statement said.
The EFCC noted that the alleged campaign is likely to intensify as political activities heighten in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
The Commission warned individuals involved in the alleged smear plot that their activities were under close watch, stressing that it would not tolerate any attempt to distract it from its mandate of promoting public accountability in Nigeria.
Reiterating its non-partisan posture, the EFCC said its operations are not influenced by political considerations, adding that members of both ruling and opposition parties are currently facing investigation or trial over corruption-related allegations.
“Facts on the ground clearly show that any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage, has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the Commission,” the statement read.
The EFCC also urged Nigerians to understand that references to the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence do not amount to the defence of any individual or group, but are in line with legal provisions.
It further stressed that the Commission has no alliance or working relationship with any political party and remains guided strictly by its Establishment Act.
The anti-graft agency added that it would not be pressured or blackmailed into making public disclosures on politically exposed persons under investigation, insisting that it remains committed to carrying out its duties “without fear or favour.”
“The EFCC reiterates its commitment to justice in the fulfilment of its mandate,” the statement concluded.
