The ongoing fight against corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will soon enter the petroleum industry as all preliminary investigations have been concluded, acting chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu said on Monday.

He said towards strengthening the crusade, the anti-graft agency plans to recruit additional 750 different cadre staff this year that will add to the core work of the commission.

The EFCC boss revealed this when he appeared before the House of Representatives financial crimes committee to defend the 2016 budget proposal.

Magu was asked by Rep Razak Atunwa (APC, Kwara) on whether the agency will go after the former minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke; Kola Aluko; former Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and some oil companies in its ongoing fight.

But he wasn't specific in his response, as he only replied that "very soon, we will go into the petroleum industry."

On the EFCC's 2016 budget, Magu complained that a slash to the commission's allocation of N1.60 billion may undermine its ongoing operations.
He said the ministry of Budget and National Planning had reduced the agency's overhead cost for 2016 from the proposed N2, 999 billion to N1, 389 billion which could affect corruption crusade.

Areas to be seriously affected, he said, are the investigative activities, manpower development and maintenance of logistics.
He urged the lawmakers to consider the approval of an additional N500 million for the agency in order to aid its operational activities "as more sectors of the economy may likely come under investigative activities during the year."

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He said towards strengthening the crusade, the anti-graft agency plans to recruit additional 750 different cadre staff this year that will add to the core work of the commission.