Nigeria’s president has nominated a lawyer to lead the country’s anti-corruption agency, following the suspension of the previous chief, amid corruption allegations, as confirmed by the president’s spokesperson on Thursday.
Tinubu’s appointment of Ola Olukoyede, a former chief of staff to the former head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), occurred four months after the indefinite suspension of Abdulrasheed Bawa over allegations of office misconduct.
The EFCC’s mission is to investigate and prosecute corruption in Nigeria, the largest oil-producing nation in Africa and the continent’s biggest economy, which has been plagued by deep-rooted corruption for many years.
Subject to Senate confirmation, Olukoyede will assume leadership of an agency currently spearheading extradition efforts involving former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke. She faces charges of receiving bribes, including cash, luxury items, private jet flights, and the use of upscale properties in the United Kingdom in exchange for the allocation of oil contracts.
Widespread poverty in Nigeria is often attributed by Nigerians to corruption within the political elite. The nation is grappling with chronic dollar shortages, substantial debt levels, double-digit inflation, and sluggish economic growth.