EFCC Chairman: Civil Servants, Not Politicians, Own Most Luxury Homes In Abuja

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that many luxury properties in Abuja’s highbrow areas, particularly Asokoro and Maitama, are owned by civil servants, not politicians. This suggests deep-rooted corruption within the civil service.

Olukoyede made the statement during an interview shared on the EFCC official Instagram handle, where he highlighted that the scale of corruption among civil servants often surpasses that of the political class.

He said the EFCC’s investigations show that politicians rarely act alone and usually rely on top-level bureaucrats—whom he described as “establishment people”—to carry out financial crimes.

He cited a case in which the EFCC uncovered the theft of N33.7 billion in a federal ministry. Only N3 billion was linked to the Minister, while the remaining N30.7 billion was traced to senior civil servants, including directors of finance and procurement.

“There is no doubt that we have corruption in the public service, but I will also tell you that the private sector is just as bad,” Olukoyede said. “Political appointees come and go, but the establishment people are always there. They often play a bigger role in looting than the politicians themselves.”