In a resolute defense of national integrity, a coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has issued a high-stakes mandate to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), demanding the agency remain unyielding in its anti-graft crusade.
This strategic intervention surfaces as the commission faces a barrage of political artillery, with critics attempting to frame its investigative rigour as a mere instrument of executive overreach.
The pushback has recently been led by Abubakar Malami, SAN, the former Attorney General of the Federation. Malami has publicly demanded that EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede step down from overseeing investigations involving him, citing alleged bias.
However, in a press statement released Wednesday, the 17th of December, 2025, Hon. Comrade Gloria Okolugbo, Coordinator of the Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organisations, dismissed these claims. The group argued that such accusations are often strategic maneuvers designed by politicians to bypass legal scrutiny.
The coalition emphasized that the Nigerian public will not permit “unsubstantiated allegations, media grandstanding, or claims of personal vendetta to undermine an ongoing anti-corruption process.”
Addressing the legal authority of the commission, the coalition highlighted that “Section 6 of the Act expressly mandates the EFCC to investigate economic and financial crimes, enforce all laws relating to corruption and illicit financial conduct, and trace, freeze, seize, and confiscate proceeds of crime.”
They further clarified that the law is impartial: “These powers apply to all persons, without exception, and without immunity for former public office holders, including former Attorneys-General.”
The coalition categorically dismissed the notion that Chairman Olukoyede should recuse himself, asserting that he must remain at the helm of the current proceedings.
“There is no legal or moral basis for calls for his recusal. Under Section 7(1)(a)–(c) of the Act, the Commission is empowered to cause investigations to be conducted into the properties and financial activities of any person where reasonable suspicion exists, to obtain information from any individual or institution, and to initiate and supervise prosecutions arising from such investigations,” the statement read.
The group added: “Nowhere in the Act is a suspect granted the right to dictate who leads or supervises an investigation into their conduct.”
The CSOs warned that yielding to the demands of those under investigation would jeopardize the nation’s legal integrity.
“Allowing a person under investigation to demand the removal of the head of an anti-corruption agency would set a dangerous precedent and amount to institutional capitulation. Such a demand is alien to the law and represents a clear attempt to obstruct justice,” the coalition noted.
READ ALSO: Opposition Can’t Blackmail Us into Silence, EFCC Fires Back
The statement continued by addressing the public nature of the current dispute: “The extraordinary level of noise, threats, and preemptive accusations being deployed by Mr. Malami only reinforces the public interest in a thorough and transparent investigation. If there is nothing to hide, there should be no fear of lawful inquiry. Those who once exercised prosecutorial authority over others should be the first to submit themselves calmly to the same legal processes they once enforced.”
The coalition pointed to the socioeconomic gap in the country as a reason for rigorous oversight: “For years, Nigerians have witnessed a disturbing contrast between the immense personal wealth openly displayed by some former public officials and the daily hardship endured by ordinary citizens. Assets, lifestyles, and financial flows that raise legitimate questions must be accounted for. This investigation is not persecution; it is accountability.”
The group concluded with a final reaffirmation of the EFCC’s mission: “We therefore reaffirm our full and unambiguous support for the EFCC in the discharge of its statutory duties. Under Section 38 of the EFCC Act, the Commission is empowered to investigate and prosecute offences relating to economic and financial crimes.”
The Mandate: “Its mandate is simple and lawful: to follow the money and allow the courts to determine the outcome.”
A Warning Against Distraction: “No amount of intimidation, political posturing, or media theatrics should be allowed to derail this process. Nigeria must seize this moment to reaffirm a fundamental democratic principle: no one is above the law, and no individual may bully anti-corruption institutions into retreat.”