Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has welcomed the expansion of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the South-East, describing stronger accountability and collective action against financial crimes as important to Nigeria’s economic development.
Soludo said effective efforts to combat economic and financial crimes would help protect public resources, strengthen legitimate businesses and create conditions for sustainable growth.
The governor spoke on Friday as keynote speaker at the commissioning of the EFCC Zonal Directorate in Awka, Anambra State, which will serve Anambra and Imo states. 
“We are enthusiastic and excited to ensure that there is EFCC in Anambra here, not because our people are into crime, but because fighting crime is everybody’s responsibility,” Soludo said.
He commended the commission for bringing its operations closer to communities and businesses, saying decentralising its activities would strengthen the fight against financial crimes and support economic development.
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Soludo pledged the cooperation of his administration with the EFCC and said the commission should ideally have a presence across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to deepen its reach.
The governor also recalled his experience with an EFCC investigation after leaving office as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, saying he honoured an invitation and followed the process until the investigation was concluded. He stressed the importance of concluding investigations and communicating their outcomes.
EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede said the Awka directorate would expand the commission’s operational capacity, improve access to justice and help protect legitimate economic activities across Anambra and Imo states.
Olukoyede said more than 60 per cent of the commission’s activities had been digitised, while greater emphasis was being placed on preventing financial crimes and safeguarding public funds.
He said the commission was monitoring Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) releases as part of efforts to strengthen controls around public revenue and prevent diversion.
Olukoyede disclosed that the EFCC received 49,615 petitions between October 2023 and July 2024, investigated 39,632 cases, filed 14,436 cases in court and secured 10,872 convictions during the period.
He said the Awka directorate would strengthen intelligence gathering, investigations and prosecution while promoting closer collaboration between the EFCC, governments, businesses and communities.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening anti-corruption institutions and urged Anambra and Imo states to protect the new facility.
Abbas said stronger enforcement of financial laws had contributed to efforts to improve Nigeria’s financial system and international standing, including the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s increased-monitoring list in October 2025.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, commended the EFCC for expanding its operational reach and pledged his administration’s cooperation with the commission.
The Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, called for greater emphasis on prevention through anti-corruption education in schools and stronger ethical standards for public officials.
The commissioning was attended by members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers from Anambra and Imo states, government officials and representatives of the business community.
The Awka directorate forms part of the EFCC’s wider expansion programme aimed at strengthening accountability, protecting legitimate economic activities and bringing financial-crime enforcement closer to communities across Nigeria.
