In a recent development, President Bola Tinubu has officially appointed Mr. Ola Olukoyede as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a renewable term of four years, pending Senate confirmation. This announcement comes almost four months after the suspension of the previous EFCC chief, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The statement, signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, conveys President Tinubu’s decision to appoint Mr. Olukoyede, following Mr. Bawa’s resignation. Mr. Olukoyede is a seasoned lawyer with more than 22 years of experience, specializing in regulatory compliance, fraud management, and corporate intelligence.
Importantly, he has previously held key positions within the EFCC, including Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman (2016-2018) and Secretary to the Commission (2018-2023), making him an ideal candidate for the role of EFCC Chairman, in line with statutory requirements.
President Tinubu has also approved the appointment of Mr. Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the EFCC, with a renewable term of five years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation. Hammajoda, a public administrator with substantial experience in public finance management, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from the same institution. His career spans academia and the banking sector, including positions at the now-defunct Allied Bank and Standard Trust Bank.
The President has charged the new leadership of the EFCC with the responsibility of justifying the confidence placed in them. He emphasized that the fight against corruption, through an improved institutional framework in the anti-corruption sector, remains a vital element of his Renewed Hope agenda.