Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that 18 sitting governors across Nigeria are currently under investigation by the anti-graft agency.
Olukoyede made the disclosure on Friday during a public sensitisation programme in Lagos focused on curbing naira abuse and mutilation. He emphasized that the EFCC does not wait for politicians to complete their tenures before launching investigations, though prosecutions are typically delayed until the expiration of their constitutional immunity.
“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,” Olukoyede stated.
The event attracted stakeholders from different sectors, including Nollywood actors and bureau de change operators. During a Q&A session, Olukoyede recounted a bizarre incident involving a former Nigerian governor who fled to the United Kingdom shortly after leaving office.
According to him, the ex-governor, while celebrating his birthday at a UK hotel, began spraying pound sterling notes—an act that alarmed the hotel manager, who called emergency services, believing the man might be mentally ill.
“He was spraying £50 and £10 notes. The hotel manager, unfamiliar with such behaviour, called emergency services. The police nearly took him away in an ambulance until two Nigerian governors at the scene stepped in,” Olukoyede narrated.
Although he did not name any of the governors currently under investigation, Olukoyede reiterated the EFCC’s resolve to pursue accountability and fight corruption regardless of status or political power.
The revelation comes amid growing public pressure on the commission to intensify its anti-corruption efforts, particularly as Nigeria grapples with economic hardship and increasing calls for transparent governance.