Senate Confirms Olukoyede, Hammajoda As EFCC Chairman, Secretary

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has a new substantive Chairman and Secretary following the confirmation of Ola Olukoyede and Muhammad Hammajoda by the Senate on Wednesday, October 19, 2023.

The confirmation of both men followed their screening by the upper chamber on Wednesday afternoon, about a week after they were nominated by President Bola Tinubu.

The Stallion News reports that the President had on October 12, 2023, appointed Olukoyede and Hammajoda as Chair and Secretary to the commission respectively.

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, had explained that Olukoyede’s appointment is for a renewable term of four years in the first instance.
He also said the President appointed Hammajoda to serve as the Secretary of the EFCC for a renewable term of five years in the first instance.

The leadership of the country’s focal anti-graft agency has experienced a shakeup in the last few months since the assumption of the President on May 29, 2023.

On June 14, 2023, the President suspended Abdulrasheed Bawa indefinitely as the anti-graft agency boss. Bawa was suspended “to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office”. The action followed “weighty” allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.

The President subsequently directed the Director of Operations at the Commission, Abdulkarim Chukkol, to step in an acting capacity while the Department of State Services (DSS) took Bawa into custody for interrogation.

However, with last Thursday’s appointment and today’s confirmation by the Senate, Olukoyede becomes the new helmsman of the commission.

The Senate also screened and confirmed the appointment of Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).