President Bola Tinubu is set to appoint Olanipekun Olukoyede as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
THE EDITOR NIGERIA reports that Olukoyede, a lawyer, served as secretary of the EFCC for two years under former acting chairman Ibrahim Magu.
He was suspended from office along with Magu in 2020 and has not been recalled.
Before his role as secretary, Olukoyede was Magu’s chief of staff.
His appointment, which requires Senate confirmation, is expected to be announced “very soon,” according to sources familiar with the development.
Olukoyede’s nomination is said to be controversial because he has no experience in law enforcement or investigation. He is also seen as being too close to Magu, who was himself a controversial figure.
However, Olukoyede’s supporters say he is a qualified lawyer with experience in compliance management, corporate intelligence, and fraud management, Premium Times reports. He is also said to be a certified fraud examiner.
If the Senate confirms his nomination, Olukoyede will be the first Nigerian from the South to lead the EFCC.
However, there are concerns that Mr Olukoyede may not be qualified for the job. There are statutory requirements for the appointment of the EFCC boss which Mr Olukoyede may not meet.
Section 2(3) of the EFCC Act, 2005, stipulates that a chairman of the commission “must be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent; possess not less than 15 years experience.”
Mr. Olukoyede, who has held various administrative positions at the EFCC for less than a decade, cannot be considered to have had 15 years of relevant experience, particularly as he has never been engaged in the law enforcement operations of the commission or any related agencies.
Mr Olukoyede is an indigene of Ekiti State.
