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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

EFCC’s accountability and transparency versus Olumhense’s position

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Opinion Sources not specified Context piece
  • The article defends the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, against criticism from columnist Sonala Olumhense.
  • It says the EFCC recorded 10,872 convictions and recovered N1.233 trillion in 34 months, and argues that its annual audited reports are available to the National Assembly.
  • The article rejects claims about Olukoyede’s position on prosecution timelines and says delays in high-profile cases cannot be blamed solely on the EFCC chairman.

Sonala Olumhense’s latest criticism of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has drawn a sharp rebuttal from those defending the agency and its chairman, Ola Olukoyede. The response dismisses his assessment as another hostile commentary that overlooks the commission’s publicly documented record.

The article points to 10,872 convictions and N1.233 trillion in recoveries over 34 months, describing both figures as verifiable facts rather than claims. It rejects Olumhense’s suggestion that Olukoyede failed to provide the annual report required under Section 37 of the EFCC Act. According to the article, the commission has submitted its annual reports to the National Assembly every September, and its audited reports, particularly those prepared since 2023, are held by relevant government offices.

what Olukoyede delivered was not the report that Section 37 of the EFCC Act obligates his commission to deliver to the National Assembly by September 30 each year, complete with audited accounts

· Sonala OlumhenseThe article quotes Olumhense’s criticism of the EFCC chairman’s annual reporting.

The response also disputes the claim that no EFCC chairman since Nuhu Ribadu filed the comprehensive audited report required by law. It says the reports are available to lawmakers and argues that the commission is not required to publicise them in a way designed to attract a columnist’s attention. The article portrays Olukoyede as the commission’s most detailed and thorough chairman, saying records on recoveries, convictions and other activities can be obtained by Nigerians.

On ongoing high-profile cases, the article says Olukoyede should not be held responsible for delays across the courts. It also disputes Olumhense’s claim that the chairman said criminal prosecutions should not last more than five years from the trial court to the Supreme Court. The response says Olukoyede offered five years as an ideal target and argues that commentators should support efforts to make faster justice a reality.

no EFCC chairman has filed the comprehensive, audited report the law requires since Nuhu Ribadu did in 2006: the year he stood before the Senate and named names

· Sonala OlumhenseThe article cites this claim while arguing that the EFCC’s audited reports are available to the National Assembly.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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