RCCG Pastor, Ola Olukoyede has been appointed as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by President Bola Tinubu.
The announcement was made by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement on Thursday.
Olukoyede is expected to serve for a term of four years, upon confirmation by the senate.
Here are some important facts to know about the new EFCC boss:
- Hailing from Ekiti State: Ola Olukoyede is originally from Ekiti State in South-west Nigeria.
- Birthdate: He was born in Ikere-Ekiti on October 14, 1969.
- Seasoned Lawyer: Olukoyede is a seasoned lawyer with over 22 years of experience in compliance management, corporate intelligence, and fraud management.
- Experience with EFCC: He has extensive experience with the operations of the EFCC, having previously served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman from 2016 to 2018.
- Religious Affiliation: Ola Olukoyede is a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
- Former Role: He was nominated by former President Muhammadu Buhari to serve as Secretary to the EFCC from 2018 to 2023.
- Recent Appointment: President Bola Tinubu appointed Olukoyede as the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, replacing Abdulrasheed Bawa, who was suspended in June this year. At that time, Abdulkarim Chukkol, the then director of operations, was appointed in an acting capacity.
Bawa’s suspension, anchored on “weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him” followed a conventional pattern of unceremonious removal of past EFCC bosses.