EFCC probing 18 serving governors for corruption – Olukoyede

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed that 18 incumbent governors are currently under investigation by the anti-corruption agency.

Olukoyede made the revelation on Friday during a public sensitisation programme in Lagos aimed at tackling naira abuse and mutilation. He clarified that the EFCC does not wait for public office holders to complete their terms before launching probes, although prosecutions are often deferred until their constitutional immunity lapses.

“As I’m talking to you, I’m investigating about 18 governors who are still serving. When they leave office, we will go to the next level,” he said.

The event drew participants from various sectors, including Nollywood personalities and bureau de change operators. During an interactive session, Olukoyede shared an unusual account involving a former Nigerian governor who relocated to the United Kingdom shortly after leaving office.

According to him, the ex-governor, while celebrating his birthday at a UK hotel, began spraying £50 and £10 notes. The bizarre act reportedly startled the hotel manager, who, unfamiliar with the behaviour, called emergency services fearing the man was mentally unstable.

“He was nearly taken away in an ambulance until two Nigerian governors at the party intervened,” Olukoyede recounted.

Though he did not reveal the identities of the governors under investigation, Olukoyede reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to holding public officials accountable, regardless of their influence or office.

His comments come amid mounting public demand for transparency and stronger anti-corruption measures, particularly as Nigeria faces worsening economic conditions.