Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has commended the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, for transforming the anti-graft agency and introducing what he described as the highest standards of professionalism and accountability in its operations.
Alausa gave the commendation on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, during a visit by a delegation from the Ministry of Education to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja to receive educational materials recovered from a cybercrime operation and forfeited to the Federal Government.
The items handed over to the ministry included 501 double-step bunk beds, 939 mattresses, and 12 wooden beds with mattresses. The materials were recovered during the EFCC’s special operation, code-named Operation Eagle Flush, which targeted cybercrime activities.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Alausa praised Olukoyede’s leadership style, describing his tenure as a period of improved standards and respect for the rule of law.
“Chairman, I commend you for bringing the highest level of standards to the EFCC,” the minister said.
He also applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Olukoyede as EFCC chairman, saying the President had demonstrated an ability to select capable individuals for strategic national assignments.
According to Alausa, the EFCC under Olukoyede has become more transparent and focused on fighting corruption without targeting innocent citizens.
“Today, three years later, we have the cleanest EFCC in the history of this country,” he said, adding that the Commission had operated within the confines of the law and avoided using its powers to intimidate Nigerians.
The minister further highlighted the Commission’s shift from a reactive approach to a more preventive strategy in tackling corruption. He noted that procurement remains one of the biggest areas where corruption thrives within government systems and praised the EFCC for identifying and addressing such challenges proactively.
“Beyond trying to be proactive in fighting corruption, beyond identifying where we have the most burden of corruption, the biggest part of corruption in our government has to do with procurement,” Alausa said.
He explained that the recovered beds and mattresses would be distributed to unity colleges across Nigeria to improve learning conditions for students.
Olukoyede, while speaking at the event, said the gesture reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that proceeds of crime are redirected toward improving the lives of Nigerians, especially young people.
He disclosed that 792 suspects, including 193 foreign nationals, were arrested and investigated during Operation Eagle Flush. He added that those found guilty were convicted, while foreign nationals involved in the crimes were deported to their countries of origin.
The EFCC chairman said children and youths are among the greatest victims of corruption and should therefore be among the first beneficiaries of recovered assets.
“Children and the youth are the greatest victims of corruption and should naturally be the first beneficiaries of the proceeds of such a crime,” Olukoyede said.
He noted that the handover was carried out in line with the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act and with the approval of the Federal Government.
Olukoyede also highlighted previous interventions by the EFCC in the education sector, including the transfer of ₦50 billion in recovered funds to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the conversion of Nok University into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State.
He assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue recovering proceeds of crime and ensuring that such assets are transparently and effectively deployed for national development.
