₦airaland Forum

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, disclosed that he turned down offers of about N500m from various individuals during his mother’s funeral in 2019.

Olukoyede spoke at the 38th Anti-Corruption Situation Room in Abuja on Thursday with the theme: Ethics, Integrity, Corruption Risk Assessments and Anti-Corruption at National and Sub-National levels: Sustaining the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

The programme was organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre, Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission, ICPC, and EFCC with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

He explained that the substantial gifts, which included cheques and drafts, were sent to him by ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, and other high-ranking officials.

At the time, Olukoyede was serving as the Secretary of the EFCC.

He recounted that upon his return to his family home in Ekiti State, where the funeral took place, he discovered numerous cheques in a carton.

After reviewing the cheques, which amounted to nearly N500m, he decided to return them.

The chairman narrated, “I lost my mother in the year 2019 (in Ekiti State). We went to the funeral. I was the secretary of the EFCC then. People came. So I went to my place a day before the funeral service. By the time I got to my small compound, which I built several years ago before I joined the EFCC, I saw about 17 cows in my compound, including pregnant ones.

“When I got home, my gate man presented a box (carton) to me and inside it, I saw so many cheques and drafts from ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, DGs of agencies, etc.

“And so, I went in and showed it to my wife. She said, Praise God. I said, Praise God for what? By the time we put all the cheques together, it counted close to N500m.”

Reflecting on the situation, Olukoyede expressed concern about the potential consequences if he had deposited the cheques into his account, particularly given his role in investigating the individuals who had sent them.

He explained that had the cheques been found in his bank account, it could have been used against him during investigations and cast doubt on his integrity.

He emphasised the importance of maintaining ethical conduct and transparency, especially in his position at the EFCC.

“I did the burial in September 2019. By July 2020, I was under investigation. Now, assuming all those cheques were paid into my account as traditional gifts and some of the MDAs that we were investigating in the EFCC, some of their directors and their DGs and their ministers sent cheques to me.

“Ordinarily, I mean for burial, some gave me one million, 20 million and all of that. Even though that would not have influenced my decision if I was in a position to determine what would happen to their investigations, how would I have explained before a panel that they saw cheques paid into my account?

“So, assuming they found those cheques paid into my account, wouldn’t it have been a good defence for me to say it was my mother’s burial? when they were looking for me to roast. For me, that is what you call integrity. When you go beyond a level of expectation,” the EFCC boss said.

Olukoyede also shared an example of rejecting bids from family members for auctioneering services during his tenure as EFCC Secretary.

He explained how both his brother-in-law, an international auctioneer, and his elder brother sought to participate in a government auction of forfeited assets. Despite the personal connections, Olukoyede insisted on adhering to conflict-of-interest rules, rejecting their applications.

He said, “My chairman then, we agreed that we should select a committee. So, we selected an assets forfeiture committee of about six directors, including myself as the chairman of the committee and a few other staff.

“We advertised for auctioneers. So, they applied. We were able to shortlist about 11 of them. My brother-in-law happens to be an international auctioneer. He applied. His application came to me. I saw it, and I shredded it. So, my PA, who knew him, called him and told him what I did, and for six months, he did not talk to me. So we did the auction.

“One of my elder brothers called me. ‘I heard you are doing an auction. I needed a truck for my business. I said, ‘Sir, go and read what we published.’ Conflict of interest. No staff of EFCC or immediate family members are allowed. He said no, they would use another name. I knew they could do that. I told him that I was not interested.

“After about eight months down the line, they set up a panel to investigate activities of the EFCC. My chairman and I were placed on suspension. They began to investigate what we did in the office. They investigated the particular auction I did in Port Harcourt. Now, assuming they found the name of my brother-in-law as one of the auctioneers. What could have been the result? Probably I may be in jail by now,” Olukoyede said.

Source: https://punchng.com/efcc-chairman-rejected-n500m-gifts-during-mothers-burial/

IPOBs rodents won’t believe his story cos such integrity is alien to their culture.

Sharp guy

Series of examples about these kind of gifts

The gifter would have immediately convert it to bribe.


Ask Abba Kyari for the rest of the story

Shivisee1:
IPOBs rodents won’t believe his story cos such integrity is alien to them

for believing dis....u r irredeemable

Trust Yoruba man at your own risk

He said all these happened when he was EFCC secretary in 2019.

My question is how influential is the “EFCC secretary” position?

AmazingGenius:
Source: https://punchng.com/efcc-chairman-rejected-n500m-gifts-during-mothers-burial/

This guy should be commended

It takes courage to stand for the right path

Look at how he handled his own elder brother and the auction

A lot of times we blame public officials for corruption, not knowing the subtle sinister forces working behind the scenes

And they never show up when stuff hits the fan. Everyone is left to bear his own cross...

Lol

Time will tell. Another government will come and breeze will blow and we will see fowl yansh

Lamba!!!.....will he tell you all the ones he collected?? Lol

Tales by moonlight
Stories that touch from a different angle

Goods used for adverts are usually the perfect ones, just like this story . How about the other ones we are not hearing about . You were the secretary and people made such offers, now that you have become the chairman, people have now stopped making offers

The way am looking at him with side eye right now

Shivisee1:
IPOBs rodents won’t believe his story cos such integrity is alien to them

Just listen to yourself. Did you just sounded like someone with comon self?
Sense is really far from you.

“Ordinarily, I mean for burial, some gave me one million, 20 million and all of that. Even though that would not have influenced my decision if I was in a position to determine what would happen to their investigations, how would I have explained before a panel that they saw cheques paid into my account?

By this quote, he really didn't see anything wrong in accepting the alleged bribe.
He was just scared of consequences.

It is sheer hubris to deny basic human behavior known as reciprocity.
No one will accept a bribe and not want to pay the giver back,
consciously or unconsciously, now or in the future, directly or indirectly.
There is no escaping it. The bribe givers knows what they are doing.

Tell us about the one he collected

Well said but we can't continue like this , someone has to get it right. If you are fighting for the right course and some negative forces are working against you, he could resign . Oyibo people do it all the time.

This guy said it on national tv that he will resign if he didn't jail that kogi state man , but here we are. The main is still galivanting around

werisetogether:
This guy should be commended

It takes courage to stand for the right path

Look at how he handled his own elder brother and the auction

A lot of times we blame public officials for corruption, not knowing the subtle sinister forces working behind the scenes

And they never show up when stuff hits the fan. Everyone is left to bear his own cross...

Sheuns:


He said all these happened when he was EFCC secretary in 2019.

My question is how influential is the “EFCC secretary” position?

Even clerks and messenger, people would find way to bribe him to evade prosecution, let alone number 2 man in the organisation.

Fiscus105:
Even clerk, people would find way to bribe him to evade prosecution, let alone number 2 man in the organisation.

How is the secretary number 2 man?

koladata:
Well said but we can't continue like this , someone has to get it right. If you are fighting for the right course and some negative forces are working against you, he could resign . Oyibo people do it all the time.

This guy said it on national tv that he will resign if he didn't jail that kogi state man , but here we are. The main is still galivanting around

Thanks for your kind words

We have a different context from Oyibo people. So we can't just copy and paste whatever they do (or claim to do)

He just shared A BIT on some of the unseen negative forces at work. We don't know what is really playing out in the case you mentioned.

Thanks again for your input. Enjoy your weekend

Sheuns:
How is the secretary number 2 man?

Go and check the organogram. Hope you know the meaning?

Temptations!

Creedng:
Trust Yoruba man at your own risk

But you trusted Simon Ekpa a content creator even than real warlord Ojuckwu.... tribalism no go kill una Yoruba and Igbo tribal warriors

What a liar

Okay na

koladata:
Well said but we can't continue like this , someone has to get it right. If you are fighting for the right course and some negative forces are working against you, he could resign . Oyibo people do it all the time.

This guy said it on national tv that he will resign if he didn't jail that kogi state man , but here we are. The main is still galivanting around

Pls simple question,pls court don freed Yahaya Bello? cuz me I no dey understand una......EFCC man said he will jail Yahaya based on very convincing evidences in his possession and one of it is $846,000 paid as Bello children school fees,so let court decides before nailing Olukayode.

ehikwe22:
What a liar

Truthful man oya prove him wrong

Court don free the guy now !!!! since when?

Kog45:
Pls simple question,pls court don freed Yahaya Bello? cuz me I no dey understand una......EFCC man said he will jail Yahaya based on very convincing evidenves in his possession and one of it is $846,000 paid as Bello children school fees,so let court decides before nailing Olukayode.

Oga you no come yarn wetin happen with the 17 cows including the pregnant ones o 🤪

Sheuns:


He said all these happened when he was EFCC secretary in 2019.

My question is how influential is the “EFCC secretary” position?

Very influential. Bro, even the CSO of EFCC headquarters is influential.

He just rejected poison