President Bola Tinubu has appointed Mr. Ola Olukoyede as the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a renewable term of four years, pending Senate confirmation. This development follows the suspension of the former EFCC Chairman, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, nearly four months ago.
In a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, it was announced that Mr. Olukoyede’s appointment is a result of Mr. Bawa’s resignation.
Here are 10 key facts about the new EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede:
1. Olukoyede is a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of Refuge, Lagos Province 12, Shasha, Lagos State.
2. He hails from Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
3. Olukoyede is an accomplished scholar, having studied at institutions like Lagos State University, University of Lagos, Institute of Arbitration in France, and the Kennedy School of Executive Education at Harvard University in the United States.
4. He was a member of the Fraud Advisory Panel in the United Kingdom.
5. Olukoyede boasts over 22 years of experience as a lawyer, specialising in regulatory compliance, fraud management, and corporate intelligence.
6. Before joining the EFCC, he worked at the law firm of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
7. Within the EFCC, he previously served as the Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, from 2016 to 2018.
8. He also held the position of Secretary of the EFCC from 2018 to 2023.
9. He was born on October 14, 1969.
10. He is a member of the Federal Government Technical Committee on the Repositioning of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.
Olukoyede’s appointment signifies a significant step in the leadership of the EFCC as he takes the helm of the anti-graft agency.