Jailing Corrupt Nigerians Will Worsen The Country’s Problem – EFCC Boss

The chair of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, asserts that Nigeria’s approach to combating corruption, which emphasizes “enforcement,” is destined to fail, cautioning that prosecuting and imprisoning corrupt individuals will only exacerbate the problem.

As the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria is often viewed as one of the most corrupt nations globally.

During a meeting with the management team from the National Orientation Agency (NOA), led by director-general Lanre Issa Onilu, at the EFCC’s corporate headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, on Wednesday, Mr. Olukoyede stated that the anti-graft agency, under his leadership, is prioritizing the prevention of financial crimes since enforcement has proven ineffective over the past two decades.

“Upon my assumption of office, I made it known to Nigerians that one of the key areas that we will pursue seriously and vigorously is the area of prevention. Everything in the anti-corruption fight is not about enforcement.

“There are policy issues that are involved. It is not all about throwing bombs and chasing people with armoured vehicles and machine guns. No, it has never worked, and it will never work. We have been on the path of enforcement for 20 years now. Would anyone tell me that corruption is abating?” Mr Olukoyede said.

The EFCC boss added, “The more you do, the more progress you make in the area of recovery, in the area of prosecution and conviction of people, the deeper the problem becomes. As you are facing one, people are inventing new areas and getting smarter by the day.

“And so, we have come to realise that there is actually nothing fundamentally wrong with our people, but that our values have been bastardised over the years and also the system that we run, so I made it known to Nigerians and the entire world that we will pursue the issue of prevention very seriously.”

To realize this objective, Mr. Olukoyede mentioned that he has initiated efforts to enhance anti-corruption awareness campaigns and is setting up institutional frameworks, emphasizing that with a focus on prevention, the EFCC will no longer wait for funds to be misappropriated before taking action.

The EFCC has gained a reputation for conducting raids on nightclubs and hotels, subjecting patrons to scrutiny in a crackdown on internet fraudsters known as Yahoo boys.

Likewise, the EFCC has frequently conducted operations at bureaux de change nationwide in an effort to curb the decline of the naira in the global market.