By Suleiman Ibrahim.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is grappling with another internal scandal, with an officer attached to the Kaduna Zonal Office reportedly absconding after allegedly stealing over $30,000 and other valuable exhibits.
Sources within the commission revealed that the officer, identified only as Polycarp, vanished following an internal audit of the exhibit room ordered by Zonal Director Benedict Ubi. The audit was initiated after a similar incident in Lagos where 10 officers were detained for misappropriating operational items, including gold bars worth over N1 billion, over $180,000, and approximately GBP 140,000.
When faced with the audit, Polycarp reportedly excused himself and subsequently disappeared. Efforts to locate him have been unsuccessful.
This incident further tarnishes the image of the anti-graft agency, which has faced numerous allegations of corruption within its own ranks.
In 2019, an EFCC official was indicted for receiving a $20,000 bribe, but was later reinstated despite confessing to the crime. In 2021, another officer was dismissed after a leaked audio recording revealed him assisting suspects in evading prosecution.
While the EFCC recently announced the dismissal of 27 officers for various offenses, sources within the agency suggest this figure represents the cumulative number of dismissals since the commission’s establishment in 2003.
Efforts to reach EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale for comment were unsuccessful.
