EFCC Chairman Rejects N500m Burial Gifts, Cites Ethical Leadership, Integrity

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, has revealed that he rejected offers totaling N500 million during his mother’s burial in Ekiti State.

Olukoyede made this disclosure at the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre’s 38th Anti-Corruption Situation Room (ACSR) Conference in Abuja.

He recounted that he found 17 cows, including pregnant ones, at his compound before the funeral, and later received a carton filled with cheques and bank drafts from ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, and agency heads.

“I showed it to my wife, and she said, ‘Praise God.’ I asked, ‘Praise God for what?’ After counting, the total amount was close to N500 million.”

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Olukoyede explained that he returned all the cheques and drafts to their sources, questioning the ethics of accepting such gifts as EFCC Secretary.

“I held my mother’s burial in September 2019, and by July 2020, I was under investigation. Imagine if those cheques had been deposited into my account as traditional gifts.”

He emphasised the importance of integrity, citing his decision to disqualify his relatives from participating in EFCC auctions to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

“My brother-in-law, an international auctioneer, applied. I shredded his application. When my elder brother asked about bidding, I reminded him that EFCC rules prohibited staff and immediate family members from participating,” he said.