The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has opened a new regional office in Awka, Anambra State, expanding its operational presence in the South-East.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo; Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma; and EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, attended the commissioning on Friday.
President Bola Tinubu was represented at the event by Abbas.
The ceremony also attracted members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers from Anambra and Imo states and captains of industry.
Speaking at the event, Olukoyede said the new office would serve both Anambra and Imo, describing the facility as an expansion of the commission’s operational capacity and access to justice.
He said the EFCC’s presence in Awka was not simply about establishing another office but about bringing the agency closer to the people and economic activities it is mandated to protect.
Olukoyede said businesses and investors in the two states must be protected from fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, advance-fee fraud and diversion of public resources.
He urged the Anambra and Imo governments to work with the commission to identify vulnerable areas and establish stronger risk-assessment and control mechanisms.
“We are not just here to hunt you, we are here to work with you to make sure that you succeed in your economic activities,” he said.
The EFCC chairman also disclosed that the commission had continued to digitise its operations, with almost 60 per cent of its processes already digitalised.
The commission has also expanded its physical presence in other parts of the country as part of reforms under Olukoyede.
According to the chairman’s latest stewardship report, the EFCC received 49,673 petitions, investigated 39,615 cases, filed 14,476 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions between October 2023 and July 2026.
Representing President Tinubu, Abbas urged the Anambra and Imo governments to protect the new facility and support the commission’s operations.
He also linked the EFCC’s enforcement activities to Nigeria’s progress in strengthening its anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing framework.
Nigeria was removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list in October 2025 after completing its action plan to address identified deficiencies in its anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing systems.
Soludo welcomed the EFCC to Anambra and pledged his administration’s cooperation with the commission.
The governor said the fight against economic and financial crimes was a collective responsibility, adding that the EFCC should ideally have a presence closer to communities across the country.
“We will cooperate with you in everywhere possible to make sure that your work goes well,” Soludo said.
He added that pervasive financial crime could undermine economic development.
Uzodimma also commended the EFCC chairman for expanding the commission’s capacity and pledged Imo State’s cooperation in the fight against financial crimes.
The opening of the Awka office gives the EFCC a dedicated regional base for Anambra and Imo, with the commission expected to combine enforcement with prevention, risk assessment and closer engagement with businesses and government institutions.
