A protest broke out in Abuja as members of the National Interest Coalition took to the streets in solidarity with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede.
The demonstration, which began at the Central Area and moved through the Three Arms Zone, climaxed at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi where the protesters submitted a letter of grievance.
Led by Comrade Bashir Abdul, the group accused some top government officials of orchestrating a campaign of blackmail aimed at derailing President Bola Tinubu’s anti corruption drive and weakening the EFCC under Olukoyede’s watch.
“We have uncovered the evil plot by some current occupiers of top government positions to attack the chairman of the EFCC and President Tinubu’s anti corruption war,” Bashir told journalists.
“This protest is to show the world that we will resist their attempts and support the President and the EFCC Chairman to succeed.”
The coalition pointed to records showing that the commission secured 4,111 convictions in 2024, the highest in its history, with projections indicating it could surpass the figure this year.
They said corrupt officials were unsettled by Olukoyede’s performance, noting that over 15,000 petitions had been acted upon, with convictions secured in more than 80 percent of cases prosecuted.
The group described Olukoyede as a proactive and knowledgeable leader whose name was being smeared to shield corrupt elements from justice.
“Nigerians have always risen to defend the EFCC. On this occasion, we are called to duty again to ensure that we prevent this pushback by corrupt government officials,” Bashir added.
The protest followed a world press conference earlier in the day and drew large crowds carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs in support of the EFCC and the federal government’s anti graft campaign.