EFCC Officer Flees After Allegedly Stealing over $30,000 From Kaduna Exhibit Room

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is facing another internal scandal following allegations that an officer in charge of the exhibit room at the Kaduna Zonal Office absconded with over $30,000 and other valuable exhibits.

Sources within the commission revealed that the staff member, identified as Polycarp, fled after a directive was issued for an audit of the exhibit room. The order came from the Kaduna Zonal Director, Benedict Ubi, just weeks after a similar case of internal theft was uncovered at the Lagos office. Upon learning of the impending audit, Polycarp reportedly excused himself to use the restroom and never returned. Efforts to reach him have been unsuccessful, with all his phone lines switched off.

This latest case follows a string of corruption allegations within the EFCC. Earlier in January, the commission detained 10 officers in Lagos over missing operational items, which investigations later revealed included gold bars valued at over ₦1 billion, $180,000 in cash, and approximately £140,000. The Kaduna case, according to insiders, may only be the beginning, as further audits could reveal additional missing assets.

In response to Polycarp’s disappearance, the EFCC has launched a manhunt to locate the fleeing officer. However, this incident adds to the agency’s troubled history of internal corruption. In 2019, an EFCC official was found guilty of accepting a $20,000 bribe at Murtala Mohammed International Airport but was later reinstated under the leadership of then-acting chairman Ibrahim Magu. Similarly, in 2021, an officer was dismissed after being caught in a leaked audio recording advising suspects on how to unfreeze their accounts and avoid prosecution.

The EFCC has taken some steps to address internal misconduct. On January 6, the agency announced the dismissal of 27 officers for various fraudulent activities. However, sources claim this number represents all dismissals for corruption since the commission’s establishment in 2003, rather than a recent purge.

Efforts to obtain an official statement from EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages.