Defection won’t save Okowa, others from prosecution – EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said no suspect, including politicians arrested and undergoing prosecution, will enjoy immunity from probe or prosecution because of his or her political alignment. This is just as the anti-graft agency stressed that the investigation into the alleged corruption of a former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, still […]
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said no suspect, including politicians arrested and undergoing prosecution, will enjoy immunity from probe or prosecution because of his or her political alignment.
This is just as the anti-graft agency stressed that the investigation into the alleged corruption of a former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, still remains active despite accusations of being shielded after he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the EFCC, who made this clarification during a press briefing that was held at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja to commemorate his second anniversary in office, said justice will be served on his case.
Daily Trust reports that Okowa had in November 2024 been arrested by the anti-graft agency over the alleged diversion of N1.3tn in oil derivation funds.
The former governor and his successor, Sheriff Oborevwori, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress in April 2025.
Nigerians, both online and offline, accused the commission of shielding the former governor after his defection to the ruling party.
But Olukoyede, who spoke through the Director of Legal and Prosecution at the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, rejected the accusation, maintaining that the EFCC operates independently and without political bias.
He said, “Someone asked the question that it is alleged that politicians who jump ship to the ruling party are shielded. The simple answer is that it’s not true.
“I think the reference was made to the case of a former governor of Delta State. To the best of my knowledge, that case is still undergoing investigation. And in due course, justice will be served.”
The EFCC’s legal chief explained that the agency prefers to complete a comprehensive investigation before filing charges, particularly in high-profile or politically sensitive cases.
The commission also announced the recovery of 1,502 non-monetary assets fraudulently acquired by some highly-placed Nigerians, scattered and hidden in different parts of the country.
The anti-graft agency listed a forfeited private university, which has now been converted to a federal university in one of the northern states, as part of the non-monetary assets recovered from looters.
It said those assets recovered comprise 402 properties in 2023, 975 in 2024, and 125 so far in 2025.
The EFCC explained that part of the funds recovered was deployed to key national initiatives, including the Students Loan Scheme and Consumer Credit Scheme, with a total of N100 billion invested.
‘Investigations into CBEX’s fraud complex’
Meanwhile, the commission said investigations into the controversial Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), a digital investment platform that allegedly fleeced Nigerians of over N1.3trn, are complex.
The anti-graft agency specifically explained that the case involved layers of transactions and actors spread across different countries, making it one of the most intricate financial investigations the commission has undertaken.
Daily Trust had reported how at least 600,000 Nigerians, who reportedly invested in the fraudulent CBEX investment scheme, lost N1.3 trillion after it collapsed in April 2025.
EFCC’s Head of Investigation, Abdulkarim Chukkol, told journalists that the virtual currency scheme is multinational in scope.
“As you are aware, the investigation is quite complex. When I say it’s complex, I mean it involves different jurisdictions. The modus operandi, as we all know, has to do with virtual currency,” the anti-graft agency official said.
According to him, funds obtained from Nigerians through the CBEX platform were laundered through multiple channels, with most of the custodians of the proceeds located outside Nigeria.
He noted that the total amount involved ran into millions of dollars, adding that suspects from other countries were also under investigation.