Scandal rocks EFCC as officers disappear with seized gold, $30,000

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continues to grapple with internal scandals, as fresh allegations of theft and misconduct among its officers come to light.

According to Punch, recent developments show that the commission has come under intense scrutiny following the dismissal of no fewer than 27 officers in 2024 for misconduct and fraudulent activities. The controversies reached a new high on January 6, 2025, when the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, issued a statement revealing an investigation into “a trending $400,000 claim of a yet-to-be-identified supposed staff of the EFCC against a sectional head.”

Just two days later, 10 officers from the Lagos Zonal Command were detained over their inability to account for critical operational items. A security source revealed that the missing items included gold bars valued at over ₦1 billion, jewelry, and between $350,000 and $400,000 in cash.

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Amidst this brewing controversy, another scandal emerged from the EFCC’s Kaduna Zonal Office. On Wednesday, an officer identified as Polycarp allegedly absconded with over $30,000 and other valuable exhibits from the zone’s exhibit room. Sources disclosed that Polycarp fled upon learning about an impending audit, leaving his telephone lines switched off and his whereabouts unknown.

“Immediately after the order for the audit was given, he took an excuse to ease himself. Efforts were made to contact him, but all his telephone lines were switched off,” an insider revealed to Punch.

While investigations into the Kaduna incident remain ongoing, the EFCC has yet to issue an official statement addressing this latest scandal, fueling public criticism of the agency’s internal accountability mechanisms.

According to reports, some officials dismissed in 2024 were found guilty of tampering with recovered assets, including cash and gold bars, highlighting a broader issue of corruption within the anti-graft agency.