The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has declared that the agency will intensify its fight against corruption, vowing that no individual or group will be spared in the process.
Olukoyede made this declaration on Monday in Abuja while receiving a solidarity visit from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
He emphasized that the fight against corruption is a collective responsibility and urged Nigerian students to join hands with the EFCC to eradicate the menace.
He said, “It is a collective responsibility to fight corruption in Nigeria. EFCC will not relent, I promise you that whatever it is going to cost us to fight this fight, we will fight it.
“What we are saying is that we must be able to hold people accountable. If you have spent eight years, four years, even if it is one year, by the time you come out, the position you are holding is a position of trust on behalf of all Nigerians.
“So, what we are simply saying is that when you finish, come, we want you to explain how you spent our common wealth while you were in office. No sacred cows.”
The EFCC chairman also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for introducing the Students Loan Scheme, which he believes will help students secure a better future.
Olukoyede dismissed allegations that the EFCC’s recent operations in Akure and Lagos were targeted at certain individuals, explaining that out of 127 suspects arrested in Akure, 113 were indicted, and 80 charged to court.
In the Lagos operations, over 100 suspects arrested have been indicted for involvement in internet fraud.
The NANS Senate President, Senator Akinteye Babantunde, expressed the association’s support for the EFCC’s anti-corruption efforts, condemning internet fraud and corruption.
According to him, “We stand in full support of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its relentless efforts in the anti-corruption war.
“This is not borne out of our personal aggrandizement but out of the desire to have a state that is firm and upholds the core values of integrity and honesty.
“Emphatically, we condemn all forms of internet fraud and corruption. It is appalling that these vices have brought nothing but shame to our country and have adversely affected our standing in the global community.”