The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is grappling with a fresh internal scandal following the disappearance of one of its officers from the Kaduna Zonal Office. The officer, identified only as Polycarp, allegedly absconded with over $30,000 and other valuable items from the agency’s exhibit room.
The latest incident adds to the mounting controversy surrounding the EFCC, which earlier this year detained 10 officers in Lagos over stolen operational items, including gold bars worth over N1 billion and over $180,000 in foreign currency.
According to sources close to the investigation, the scandal in Kaduna began when Zonal Director Benedict Ubi ordered an audit of the exhibit room. The move followed the internal thefts that had recently come to light in Lagos. When Polycarp, in charge of the exhibit room, received the order for an audit, he allegedly took an excuse to step out and never returned. Efforts to reach him, including calls to his phone, proved futile as his lines were switched off.
“Preliminary audits have confirmed the theft of over $30,000,” said an anonymous source. “There may be more items missing, as a full audit of the exhibit room is still ongoing.”
The EFCC has since launched a manhunt for Polycarp, hoping to track down the fleeing officer. Insiders have raised concerns that this may not be the only instance of misconduct within the agency, as several high-profile cases of theft and corruption have previously marred the commission’s operations.
In 2019, an EFCC officer was implicated in accepting a bribe of $20,000 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, though the matter was not publicly pursued. A year later, the commission dismissed another officer caught on leaked audio, where he appeared to offer assistance to suspects on how to unfreeze their accounts and dismiss charges.
Earlier this month, the EFCC announced the dismissal of 27 officers for various fraudulent activities, marking an alarming trend of internal corruption within the agency. Despite these efforts, questions remain about the agency’s ability to maintain internal integrity.
Efforts to obtain a comment from EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale have so far been unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
The EFCC, known for its high-profile role in fighting corruption in Nigeria, now faces increased scrutiny as it battles to regain public trust amid these ongoing scandals.
