Sharon IKECHUKWU
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged students across the country to uphold integrity and reject all forms of corruption.
The commission’s executive chairman, Ola Olukoyede, gave the charge on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, during a sensitization lecture at St. Lawrence Metro College, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The lecture, themed Corruption: The Enemy Within and the Role of the EFCC in Sanitising Nigeria, was aimed at educating students on the dangers of corruption and their responsibilities in building a society free from economic and financial crimes.
Olukoyede, represented by the Head of Public Affairs Department, Ekiti Zonal Directorate, Gbenga Adewoye, urged the students to take responsibility in the fight against corruption by promoting integrity, accountability and transparency.
He explained that corruption “goes beyond the misappropriation of public funds to include examination malpractice, certificate forgery, bribery, internet fraud, identity theft, nepotism and other forms of dishonesty”.
Speaking on the Commission’s mandate, Olukoyede said the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, empowered the agency to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes.
“Our responsibilities include investigation, prosecution, prevention, asset recovery, public enlightenment, inter-agency collaboration and monitoring of government programmes to prevent the diversion of public resources,” he said.
He highlighted the Commission’s preventive efforts through school sensitization programmes, public enlightenment campaigns and the establishment of Integrity Clubs and Zero Tolerance Clubs in educational institutions.
“It is cheaper to prevent corruption than to arrest a thief,” he said.
Olukoyede encouraged the school management to establish an Integrity Club where students could participate in debates, essay competitions and other activities promoting ethical values.
The students were also cautioned against fraudulent investment schemes, fake job offers and individuals impersonating EFCC officials to extort members of the public.
He urged them to reject examination malpractice, shun internet fraud and report economic and financial crimes through the Commission’s Eagle Eye App.
Earlier, the Principal of St. Lawrence Metro College, Ado-Ekiti, Oluwatoyin Bello, appreciated the EFCC for the sensitization lecture and urged the students to embrace hard work and shun economic and financial crimes.
