Olukoyede and Hammajoda are both confirmed by the Senate to lead the EFCC

Following the red chamber’s review of both men’s nominations, which took place around a week after President Bola Tinubu’s appointment, they were both confirmed.

Ola Olukoyede’s appointment as the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was approved by the Senate on Wednesday.

The red chamber also approved Muhammad Hammajoda’s appointment as the anti-graft agency’s Secretary.

Following the upper chamber’s examination of both men on Wednesday afternoon—about a week after President Bola Tinubu’s appointment—they were subsequently confirmed.

The appointment of Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) was also reviewed and approved by the Senate.

On October 12, 2023, the President appointed Olukoyede and Hammajoda to serve as the commission’s chair and secretary, respectively.

Since the new president took office on May 29, 2023, there has been a shakeup in the top ranks of the nation’s primary anti-corruption organisation.

The President placed Abdulrasheed Bawa on indefinite leave as the head of the anti-graft agency on June 14, 2023. Bawa was placed on administrative leave “to allow for a proper investigation into his conduct while in office”. The move was taken in response to “weighty” claims of office abuse made against him.

The President then gave Abdulkarim Chukkol, the Director of Operations at the Commission, the order to take over as acting chair of the EFCC while the Department of State Services (DSS) detained Bawa.

But Olukoyede is now in charge of the panel thanks to his appointment on last Thursday and the Senate’s confirmation on Wednesday.

According to the presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, Olukoyede’s appointment is initially for a four-year tenure that is renewable.

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He added that the President first appointed Hammajoda to the position of Secretary of the EFCC for a renewable period of five years.

Criticisms
Olukoyede, a lawyer, had been appointed despite harsh criticisms that he was unqualified to run the country’s top anti-graft organisation since he was not an Assistant Commissioner of Police, according to several experts and prominent attorneys.

Although Olukoyede has 22 years of relevant experience and has previously held the positions of Secretary to the Commission (2018-2023) and Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman (2016-2018), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, asserted on Monday that Olukoyede is “eminently qualified” to lead the commission.

The senior attorney, however, asserted that the Independent Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) chairman should be from the southern region if the EFCC chairman is from the northern zone.

Olukoyede and the former chairman of the ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, were both from the South-West geopolitical zone as of Monday.

On the other hand, the President said on Tuesday that Owasanoye would continue on pre-tenure leave, which was a significant change. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Jigawa State, Dr. Musa Aliyu, was subsequently chosen by the President to lead the ICPC.