EFCC Revamps Investigative Team: 420 Officers Transferred to Regions

EFCC Shakes Up Ranks: 420 Corrupt Investigators Booted Out of Abuja HQ

In a bold move to tackle the cancer of corruption within its own ranks, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has redeployed a staggering 420 investigative officers from its national headquarters in Abuja to regional branches. The mass transfer, which took place in two phases, saw 250 officers shipped out on August 2, followed by an additional 170 on August 9.

According to a top insider, the drastic measure was taken to root out corrupt elements who had infiltrated the agency’s top echelons. “EFCC just posted out lots of investigative officers out of its head office to regions, mostly corrupt officers,” the source revealed.

But when confronted about the redeployment, EFCC Spokesman Dele Oyewale downplayed the move, insisting it was merely a “normal administrative exercise” aimed at boosting efficiency. “There are no corrupt officers involved, and there is no corruption,” he claimed.

“The EFCC’s move to redeploy corrupt officers comes on the heels of a damning report by SaharaReporters, which exposed the agency’s complicity in the kidnapping and extortion of suspected ‘Yahoo boys’. The report detailed how rogue EFCC officials and police officers formed a clandestine squad to target and detain young Nigerians, often without evidence or due process.

The victims, many of whom are barely out of their teens, are subjected to physical and psychological torture, forced to pay hefty ransoms to secure their release. Those who cannot afford the ransom are often left to languish in detention, their lives forever changed by the traumatic experience.

The EFCC’s denial of any wrongdoing has done little to quell the outrage, with many Nigerians taking to social media to express their disgust and demand action. “How can an agency tasked with fighting corruption be so deeply embroiled in it?” asked one Twitter user. “The EFCC needs a total overhaul, not just a redeployment of corrupt officers,” wrote another.

As the EFCC struggles to contain the fallout, one thing is clear: the agency’s reputation is in tatters, and it will take more than a mere redeployment to restore trust. The Nigerian people demand accountability, and it’s time for the EFCC to deliver.”