By Nkechi Eze
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed allegations by some political actors that it is being used as a tool to intimidate opposition politicians, insisting that its operations are strictly guided by law and focused solely on combating economic and financial crimes.
In a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Commission, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC described claims of “weaponisation of the Commission,” “erosion of its independence,” “persecution of opposition politicians” and “politicisation of its operations” as deliberate misrepresentations of its statutory mandate.
The Commission stressed that its only operational “weapon” is the EFCC Establishment Act, which clearly mandates it to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes without regard to political affiliation. According to the EFCC, the only category of public officers exempted from prosecution are those enjoying constitutional immunity while in office. Outside this provision, no individual—whether from the ruling party, opposition parties or non-partisan backgrounds—is immune from investigation or prosecution.
The EFCC noted that records of arrests and prosecutions carried out over the past two years under its current leadership show that individuals from across the political spectrum have been subjected to investigation. These include former governors, ministers and other influential figures, both from the ruling party and the opposition, as well as non-political actors.
“The truth is that the EFCC is loyal only to its mandate,” the Commission stated, adding that its responsibility is to confront corruption wherever evidence exists, not to pursue imagined political adversaries or partisan objectives. It described as untenable claims that the Commission is deliberately targeting opposition politicians in order to weaken them for the benefit of the ruling party.
Questioning the logic of such accusations, the EFCC asked whether requiring a suspect to account for alleged embezzlement, money laundering, contract fraud or other corrupt practices amounts to persecution. The Commission emphasised that corruption has no political party, ethnicity, religion or gender, and that selective outrage cannot serve as a defence against legitimate criminal investigation.
According to the EFCC, the real threat to democracy is not the Commission carrying out its lawful duties, but attempts to intimidate or blackmail it into abandoning investigations against individuals accused of corruption simply because they now belong to the opposition. Such pressure, it warned, undermines the rule of law and accountability.
The Commission further argued that the attacks against it appear to be a veiled effort to confer immunity on politicians who, having lost power, now seek refuge in opposition status. It described this approach as alien to the Nigerian Constitution and the EFCC’s enabling law, both of which compel action against credible evidence of graft regardless of political alignment.
The EFCC made it clear that it would not succumb to blackmail or be forced into compromising investigations in order to appear non-selective. It also cautioned against calls to amend its enabling Act to satisfy what it described as the whims of a disgruntled segment of the political class, warning that such moves may not serve the national interest.
The Commission concluded by calling on well-meaning, reform-minded and patriotic Nigerians to support its mandate, stressing that the fight against corruption remains a collective responsibility essential to restoring national dignity and strengthening democratic governance.
