, Olanipekun Olukoyede, has revealed that he turned down financial gifts){kind=link}
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, has revealed that he turned down financial gifts amounting to nearly N500 million from top government officials during his mother’s burial in 2019.
Speaking at the 38th Anti-Corruption Situation Room in Abuja, Olukoyede shared how ministers, directors, and agency heads offered him cheques and drafts as condolence gifts. However, he declined them, recognizing the ethical risks.
“When I got home, my gate man presented a box to me, and inside it, I saw so many cheques and drafts from ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, and DGs of agencies,” he recounted. “By the time we put them together, it totalled close to N500 million.”
He explained that accepting the money could have raised serious corruption allegations, particularly as some contributors were under EFCC investigation.
“Assuming all those cheques were paid into my account, would it have been a good defence for me to say it was for my mother’s burial when they were looking for me to roast? For me, that is what you call integrity.”
Olukoyede also cited another instance where he upheld ethical standards, disqualifying his brother-in-law from an EFCC asset auction and refusing to let his elder brother acquire a truck through indirect means.
“My PA, who knew my brother-in-law, called him and told him what I did. For six months, he did not speak to me,” he said.
On his elder brother’s request, he added, “I told him, ‘Sir, go and read what we published. Conflict of interest. No staff of EFCC or immediate family members are allowed.’”
Reflecting on his decisions, Olukoyede emphasized that his integrity shielded him when he was later investigated.
“Eight months later, they set up a panel to probe EFCC activities. Assuming my brother-in-law’s name had been among the auctioneers, what would have been the result? Probably, I would be in jail by now.”