David-Chyddy Eleke writes that the current inauguration of the Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Awka, the Anambra State capital, was misconstrued for witch-hunt, however such fears have been allayed because the Commission got here ready with solutions.
Last Friday, Awka, the capital of Anambra State performed host to dignitaries who graced the inauguration of the Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is to supervise Anambra and Imo States. The directorate was created by an act of parliament on 22 October 2025, with simply 21 personnel deployed to the workplace by an inner memo on 2 January. The workplace formally opened, however didn’t start full operation till February 28, 2026.
The inauguration was graced by dignitaries together with the host governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo; his Imo State counterpart, Senator Hope Uzodinma; Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, a number of members of House of Representatives, State Assembly members, Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede; businessman, Chief Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM); Lady Ada Chidozie of Dozzy Oil and Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and lots of others.
The creation of the directorate had set tongues wagging in the South East, particularly in Anambra the place some indigenes questioned what financial advantages the zonal directorate would deliver to the state. Previously, the creation of Zone 13 Ukpo command of the Nigeria Police Force which was attracted by billionaire oil mogul, Prince Arthur Eze had been condemned by many who insisted that he neither had an trade, manufacturing facility or any enterprise to soak up the teeming youths, however deemed it essential to affect a police facility that might prove an instrument for looking and hounding youths. The argument continued for some time, then the opening of the EFCC Directorate.
A commentator, Mr Mathias Uzoagba (not actual title as a result of his permission was not sought) in a submit on social media closely criticized each Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo and the Federal Government concerning the institution of the directorate. He mentioned: “When it was time to sign a $7 billion memorandum of understanding (MoU) with global port operator DP World in to develop the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun Blue Marine Special Economic Zone, the federal government did not remember South East, but now it is time to establish EFCC Directorate, they are bringing it to Anambra. Soludo should be ashamed of his mantra of progressives working together. Can’t progressives work together when it is time to attract meaningful development to Anambra State,” he requested rhetorically.
As the argument raged, the precise inauguration ceremony offered a possibility for each the Chairman of EFCC and Prof Soludo to make clear this. Governor of Imo State, Senator Uzodinma additionally added his voice to enlighten the folks about what bringing the institution shut meant.
The Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr Olukoyede confused in his speech that the institution of a regional workplace of the fee in Awka, the Anambra State capital was to serve Anambra and Imo States and to not hound its folks, stating that it might assist them in a number of methods to safeguard their funds. He urged the folks to look past the arrest of individuals, however to deal with how the fee coming near them can assure the protection of their funds.
“The institution of this directorate is integral to the Commission’s ongoing enlargement, made potential by the beneficiant appropriations of the National Assembly and the essential interventions of President Bola Tinubu. There is little doubt that Anambra and Imo States deserve efficient and responsive institutional presence. These states are famend for enterprise, innovation, commerce and a unprecedented tradition of trade. Across each states, we see Nigerians creating companies, constructing industries, buying and selling, investing and producing employment.
“These legitimate economic activities must be protected from fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, investment frauds, diversion of public resources and other forms of economic and financial crime. Therefore, our coming to Awka is beyond geographical expansion. It is about taking the mandate of the EFCC closer to the people and closer to the economic activities we are meant to protect. EFCC exists not merely to arrest and prosecute. Our official mission encompasses prevention, enforcement and coordination in the effort to eradicate economic and financial crimes. This balance is extremely important. We must prosecute cases on the strength of evidence. We must trace and recover proceeds of crime. However, a fundamental question is, how do we prevent financial crime from occurring in the first place? If we can identify vulnerabilities before billions of naira are lost, prevent fraudulent transactions before citizens lose their savings, strengthen procurement systems before public resources are diverted and interrupt criminal financial flows before they mature, then we would have saved the nation enormous economic and social costs.”
Beyond these explanations, which appeared tailor-made to reply questions on the lips of Anambra folks about bringing a regulation enforcement company like EFCC to them for intimidation, the Governor of Anambra State, who has been on the receiving finish since his political feud with one among his predecessors, Mr Peter Obi began, additionally provided explanations. Soludo has been bashed by supporters of Obi who see him as colluding with authorities on the centre to maintain the Igbo nation down by bringing solely businesses that subjugate them. But he provided his explanations as if he got here able to make clear points concerning the institution of the fee in Anambra.
Soludo mentioned: “We are enthusiastic about having EFCC in Awka not because our people are criminals and whatever, but we are begining to drill down the fight against economic and financial crimes to the grassroots. Fighting crime is the responsibility of everybody. Ideally, EFCC should be in the 774 LGAs, but with just 6,000 staff, there is a limit. Welcome to Anambra, we will cooperate with you in everyway possible to ensure that your work goes well. The work of the EFCC is pivotal to our national development and many people may not appreciate it because what they see is EFCC arresting people. But in a society where you have pervasive economic and financial crimes, that society will not move forward economically or in development.”
Soludo went additional to inform the story of how the fee may also help implement transparency and his private encounter. Though he failed to say the controversy surrounding the minting of polymer notes throughout his time as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, it was apparent he was referring to that. He mentioned: “My private testimonies concerning the professionalism of this fee is that after I left workplace as CBN Governor, about three years after, EFCC was investigating an company throughout the financial institution; the mint. I used to be chairman of board of the mint and I used to be given one month discover of investigation and I confirmed up. After a couple of 12 months, I didn’t hear from them, so I wrote them they usually mentioned investigation up to now didn’t present something about me.
“When some journalists mentioned my name in connection with the investigation, the former chairman of EFCC told them that I was not the subject of the investigation. Subsequently, they wrote me a beautiful letter and said their investigation showed I didn’t have anything to do with the matter. So I deeply appreciate the professionalism of the commission. I want to urge that if you invite someone and later fail to find them complicit, you must write and say so, especially in this part of the world when if you invite people, it finds its way to the pages of the newspaper because they see invitation as indictment.”
Speaking additional, Soludo assured that the institution of EFCC Zonal Directorate in Anambra was not for witch-hunt, however can serve a number of different functions. He applauded the professionalism of the EFCC, including that in Anambra, the State is not going to wait till it got here wanting in its books, however will come knocking as a result of the state wants the fee’s assist in the areas of income, tax and coaching. “We need training for our civil service, training for staff of Local government and others. Many of these crimes people don’t know about, like procurement processes and rules,” Soludo mentioned.
Also, Governor Uzodinma of Imo State described the institution of EFCC Zonal Directorate as a significant step in direction of bringing the fee nearer to the folks. Uzodimma mentioned the decentralization of the fee’s operations would save residents of the South-East the stress of travelling to Lagos or Abuja to take care of EFCC-related issues. He additionally praised EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for what he described as a extra humane strategy to the fee’s operations. “Under the administration of the current chairman, the modus operandi of EFCC has a human face. People are beginning to know that they are not enemies; rather, they can be your friends,” he mentioned.
To additional buttress the achievements of the directorate, which has remained useful to each states, the fee revealed that with an area of 9 months in operation, it has helped folks of each state reclaim misplaced and swindled properties and money. It mentioned throughout the interval the regional workplace has been in operation, since February 2026, it has obtained a complete of 393 petitions, investigating 311 of such petitions, secured 58 convictions and recovered 111 plots of land price N323million. He mentioned a complete of N835.9million, $1,135, €400 have been recovered too. Giving the folks the hope that the directorate isn’t for witch-hunt, however to safe them and assist them get well stolen funds too.
