The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has charged Nigerian youths
to resent corruption and all forms of economic and financial crimes.
He gave the charge on Monday, August 25, 2025, at
the 13th Annual Teenagers Workshop, organized by Al-Habibiyyah Islamic
Society at Epitome Model Islamic School, Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
Speaking on “the dangers of corruption and
the importance of integrity” through the Head of the Enlightenment and
Reorientation Unit of the Commission, Assistant Commander of the
EFCC, ACE II, Aisha Mohammed, the EFCC boss regreted that
corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian
society, and called for a collective action against
it, especially from the youths, being the future leaders of the
country.
“You matter most to us because you are the future of
this country. Whatever you can, do it to save this nation from
corruption. Change the narrative, frown at all forms of corruption.
No aspect of corruption is small, every form of it has dire
consequences. Corruption is the reason we have poor hospitals, bad roads,
substandard schools and a failing educational system. Do not wait. Fight
it. Resent it wherever you see it happening, so that we
can collectively save our nation from the
monster of corruption,” he said.
Speaking on integrity, Olukoyede noted that “The
moment you lose integrity, you lose everything. Make integrity your
trademark. Be so synonymous with integrity that people can identify
you with it. You are the future of this country, and your voices matter. So
join hands with the EFCC to drive corruption out of Nigeria,” he said.
In the interactive session, Assistant
Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE 1, Ilyasu Bala, drew a parrallel in the
mandates of the EFCC and that of the Independent Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, which are both
anti-corruption agencies.
The EFCC, he explained focuses broadly on
financial crimes across all sectors, including money laundering, internet
fraud, terrorist financing, illegal mining and illegal oil deals,
with enforcement powers that cover arrest, detention, freezing of accounts and
asset seizures. The ICPC, on the other hand, targets corruption within the
public sector, such as bribery, abuse of office, embezzlement and unethical
conducts by civil servants and government officials.
In her remarks, the Director of Empowerment and
Endowment of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Habiba Ahmed,
thanked Olukoyede, the management and staff of the
EFCC for consistently engaging with youths as partners in the fight against corruption, economic
and financial crimes.
She urged the participants to support
the EFCC in its anti-corruption fight and to take
the anti-corruption message of the Commission home to their
families and friends.
The workshop, which attracted teenagers from across
the country, aimed at molding morally upright and socially responsible youths
by instilling the values of good leadership qualities,
integrity and civic responsibility in them.