Tinubu To Appoint Former Secretary As EFCC Chairman

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is reportedly set to appoint Olanipekun Olukoyede as the substantive chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Naija News understands that Olukoyede, a lawyer, had served as secretary of the anti-graft agency for two years during the reign of Ibrahim Magu as the acting chair of the commission.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2020 suspended Koyede, along with Magu, and was never recalled.

Before his secretary role, Olukoyede had served as Magu’s chief of staff.

“President Tinubu has chosen Olanipekun Olukoyede for appointment as substantive chairman of the EFCC,” a top presidency source familiar with the development but not permitted to discuss it before the official announcement told Premium Times.

Another source hinted that Olukoyede’s appointment, which requires Senate confirmation, would be made public “very soon.”

Olukoyede, who hails from Ekiti State, South-west Nigeria, was born in Ikere-Ekiti on 14 October 1969. He will, therefore, clock 54 on 14 October.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Mr Olukoyede as Secretary to EFCC in 2018.

Subsequently, the Nigerian Senate confirmed his appointment in November 2018 to replace Emmanuel Aremo, whose five-year tenure ended in July 2018.

But, Olukoyede’s confirmation as EFCC scribe came with controversy, as a senator, Isa Misau accused the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Chukwuka Utazi, of sidelining some members of the senators in preparing the committee’s report which cleared Olukoyede for the job.

He had worked as a lawyer at the law firm of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo before he clinched the EFCC job.

He is a certified fraud examiner who has led investigations and civil litigation of fraud and financial crimes in International development projects.

He specializes in anti-corruption research and analysis, corporate and business intelligence gathering, and processing.

He is a member of the Fraud Advisory Panel (UK) and also a member of the Federal Government Technical Committee on the Repositioning of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.