•Latest NBS N721bn bribes report raises puzzles
•EFCC secures 9,525 convictions in 14 years
•Recovers N156bn under Tinubu in 365 days
•We’re focused on tackling the world’s second, deadliest affliction — Olukoyede

By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor

In the last 14 years, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has successfully convicted no fewer than 9,525 persons for various fraud-related crimes.

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No fewer than 6,960 of the convictions were secured in 30 months between 2022 and May 2024.
The highest convictions, 3785, were in 2022.

In the first year of President Bola Tinubu’s Administration, from May 29, 2023, to May 28, 2024, the anti-graft agency secured 3,175 convictions.

Reeling out the achievements of the EFCC in 365 days under President Tinubu, the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, said the commission also recovered N156.691 billion. Foreign currencies recovered within the period include $43.835million; 25.365million Pounds; 186,947 Euros; 51.361million Yen; and 42,390 UAE Dirhams among others.

As the anti-corruption body was celebrating its achievements, the latest report of the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has raised puzzles and nagging questions.

Published penultimate Thursday, the NBS report indicated that Government officials and public officers received N721billion in bribes in 2023.
The report was titled: “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends.”

According to NBS, the N721 billion paid in bribes across the country in 2023 amounted to about 0.35 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

The report which was based on a survey conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, noted that the average cash received by public office holders in 2023 was N8,284, an increase from an average of N5,754 in 2019.

Judges, magistrates top chart

Judges and magistrates reportedly received the highest amount of bribes among public officials in 2023, surpassing the police, customs, and military personnel, the report revealed.

The NBS report on corruption patterns and trends in Nigeria ranked judges first among collectors of cash bribes, with an average bribe amount of N 31,000.

According to the report: “There are large variations in the size of bribes paid by citizens, according to the types of public officials who receive them.

“Among all types of public officials for which there was sufficient data, with an average of N31,000, the largest cash bribes were paid to judges and magistrates, followed by customs or immigration service officers (N17,800) and members of the armed forces (N16,600).

Doctors, nurses received less bribes

“By contrast, much smaller average amounts were paid to doctors, nurses and midwives (N6,000), public utility officers (N4,600) and other health workers (N2,900).”

The report read in part: “According to the 2023 survey, the average cash bribe paid was N8,284.
“While the nominal average cash bribe size increased since 2019 (from N5,754), this does not account for inflation. The inflation-adjusted average cash bribe in 2023 was 29 per cent smaller than in 2019 in terms of what could be bought with the money.

“Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly N721 billion (US$1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023, corresponding to 0.35 per cent of the entire Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria.”

Before and after the 2023 general polls, some opposition parties alleged that the exercises were marred by graft. Some electoral officials and security agencies were accused of receiving bribes to aid rigging and alterations of results.

Fresh puzzles, nagging questions

With the report, Olukeyede, the first Southerner and Christian to head the EFCC, has his hands full in spearheading the fight against the scourge of graft. Can his agency investigate and recover the N721 billion bribes collected by public officials? Can the EFCC unmask the corrigible judges and magistrates, identified as the highest bribe collectors in the report? Can the EFCC put measures in place to prevent or reduce the trend to the barest minimum, going forward?

Graft, the deadliest affliction of humanity after terrorism —Olukoyede

Recently, the EFCC boss lamented the effects of corruption on the well-being of the country and citizenry and urged joint efforts to kill the menace.

Olukeyede said apart from terrorism, corruption is the next deadliest affliction of humanity.
He said that most of the former governors currently being prosecuted by the anti-graft commission were those who couldn’t pay minimum wage.

He urged Nigerians to embrace whistleblowing by exposing corruption in the country.
Addressing stakeholders at the Unity Fountain in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day, Olukoyede called for enhanced and consistent commitment to whistle-blowing by Nigerians to tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
His words: “Aside from terrorism, corruption ranks as the next deadliest affliction of humanity in every region of the world.

Given the danger and threat to our existence that corruption represents, individuals, communities, corporate bodies and indeed the whole world must join hands to tackle it frontally. “One way of doing this is through the whistle-blowing initiative.”

According to Olukoyede, the fight against corruption required absolute commitment to integrity and unfaltering focus.

“We cannot win the war against corruption through lip service, emotional outbursts or mere mob campaigns. There is a need for commitment, passion, consistency and credibility of intelligence. Every whistle blown must point towards truth and evidential proofs,” he said.

Pleading with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Civil society organizations, CSOs, to be part of the anti-graft war, the EFCC boss said: “Most of the governors being prosecuted today were those who couldn’t pay minimum wage. There is an urgent need for us to fight corruption and NLC must throw its weight behind the agency in all fights against corruption.”

NLC’ll back EFCC — Ajaero

Also speaking, the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajearo, said the union would fully support the EFCC in its fight against graft.

A host of stakeholders at the Road Walk were unanimous on the need for more affirmative actions against corruption.

The Chairperson, Conference of Civil Society and Coordinator Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMCO), Adams Otakwu, commended the EFCC for galvanizing Nigerians to stand against corruption.

His words: “It may interest us to know that upon all the threats to national security inclusive of terrorism, insurgency, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, the most insidious of them is corruption and that is why the fight against corruption must be tackled head-on.”

Why Olukeyede must deliver

Appointed on October 12, 2023, Olukeyede, who is exactly nine months and eight days in the saddle must tame graft, and recover looted funds and properties to boost President Tinubu’s economic agenda.

The anti-graft czar assumed office two days before his 54th birthday having been sired on October 14, 1969.

As a lawyer with 22 years of experience, and having under-studied many past chairmen and acting chairmen at the top level,

Olukeyede has the necessary experience to tap from to excel.

He joined the EFCC in 2008, became Chief of Staff to acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu (2016-2018); and secretary of the commission (2018-2023).

The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, pastor, is the first Christian and southerner to mount the saddle of the EFCC as all his former chairmen were northern Muslims.
Before Olukeyede, the former EFCC chairmen were Nuhu Ribadu, Farida Waziri, Ibrahim Lamorde and Abdulrasheed Bawa.

The acting chairmen were Magu, Abdulkarim Chukkol and Mohammed Umar.

How EFCC secured 9,525 convictions in 14 years

Year/Convictions
2010- 68
2011- 67
2012- 87
2013- 117
2014-126
2015-103
2016-195
2017-187
2018-312
2019-1280
2020-976
2021-2220
2022-3785
2023/May 2024-3175
Total—9,525