The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo; Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, Dr Kevin Chukwumobi (Apams) and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, were among dignitaries who attended the opening of the EFCC’s office in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Friday.
President Bola Tinubu was represented at the event by Abbas, which was attended by prominent members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers from Anambra and Imo states, as well as captains of industry.
Speaking in his opening address, Olukoyede said the commission had begun the digitisation of its processes, adding that more than 60 per cent of its activities were currently digitised.
He said the EFCC’s zonal facility, strategically located in Awka, was aimed at significantly expanding the commission’s operational footprint and strengthening its capacity to deliver accountability oversight across Anambra and Imo states.
He said the establishment of the office was more than geographical expansion, adding that it would bring the agency closer to the people and the economic activities it was mandated to protect.
He said, “This facility significantly expands our operational footprint and reinforces our capacity to deliver comprehensive accountability oversight across both Anambra and Imo states.
“So, it is one office that covers two states – Anambra and Imo. The dedication of this building today represents an expansion of access to justice, an expansion of our operational capacity, and, importantly, an expansion of the collaboration between the EFCC and the Nigerian public in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
“The establishment of this zonal directorate is integral to the commission’s expansion made possible by the generous appropriation of the National Assembly and the strategic interventions of President Bola Tinubu, for which we express our profound gratitude.
“Under the current reform agenda, we are establishing directorates in Ekiti State, which we commissioned a couple of months ago; Anambra State, which we are commissioning today; and Katsina State, which we will be commissioning next week.”
Olukoyede said the strategic expansion was designed to strengthen the fight against economic and financial crimes across the affected states, which he described as centres of enterprise, innovation and commerce.
He said the commission received 49,615 petitions between October 2023 and July 2024, out of which 39,632 cases were investigated.
He said, “Across both states, we see Nigerians creating businesses, building industry, trading, investing, and also generating employment.
“These legitimate economic activities must be protected from fraud, from cybercrime and money laundering, advance fee fraud, diversion of public resources, and other forms of economic and financial crime.
“Therefore, our coming to Awka is beyond geographical expansion. It’s about bringing the agency a bit closer to the people, and closer to the economic activities we are meant to protect.
“I need to emphasise this because I don’t want anybody to go and be fighting with our coming. Part of our mandate is also to help you to safeguard your economy. And that’s one of the things EFCC is known for.
“And so, I charge Mr Governor and the head of the office here to develop a cordial working relationship. We look at vulnerable areas in the system, vulnerability in particular areas, and areas that are vulnerable to fraud, and we work with you to draw what we call risk assessment and control.
“That will be part of the mission. So, we are not just here to hunt you, we are here to work with you to make sure that you succeed in your economic activities.
“In pursuit of our mandate as well, our primary engagement is in corruption. We have made impressive progress.”
Olukoyede added that the commission had filed 14,436 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions within the period under review.
“This gives a conviction that the commission is taking the fight against financial crimes seriously,” he added.
The Speaker, Abbas, who represented President Tinubu, urged the governments of Anambra and Imo states to protect the critical infrastructure.
He said Nigeria’s economic resurgence and improved investment outlook owed much to the commission’s enforcement operations, which, according to him, culminated in the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list in October 2025.
He added that the EFCC’s enforcement operations served as proof of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts.
According to him, the achievements had strengthened the nation’s financial security and restored international confidence in its economic potential.
In his address, Soludo welcomed the EFCC team to Anambra, saying the commission should ideally have offices in all 774 local government areas of the country to effectively fight financial crimes.
Soludo said his administration would partner with the anti-graft agency in the fight against economic crimes in the state.
“We are enthusiastic and excited to ensure that there is EFCC in Anambra here, not because our people are into crime. But because fighting crime is everybody’s responsibility. It needs to be heavy. Ideally, EFCC should be in the 774 LGAs of the country.
“And so this regional office covering Anambra and Imo states is a welcome development, and we say thank you very much; welcome to Anambra.
“We will cooperate with you in everywhere possible to make sure that your work goes well. In a society where you have pervasive economic and financial crimes, that society will not move forward economically or in development.”
In his remarks, Uzodimma commended the EFCC chairman for expanding the capacity of the anti-graft agency, saying Imo State would partner with the commission in the fight against financial crimes.
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