EFCC Reaffirms Up To 5% Reward For Whistleblowers Who Help Recover Stolen Nigerian Assets

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reaffirmed its policy of rewarding whistleblowers with 2.5% to 5% of recovered funds or assets when credible information leads to successful recovery of proceeds of corruption held abroad. EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said the incentive is designed to encourage people with information about stolen Nigerian assets to come forward. He also highlighted the agency's use of non-conviction-based asset forfeiture, citing recoveries including 752 housing units linked to former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele. The whistleblower policy was introduced in 2016, although analysts say its implementation has so far made limited progress.

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reaffirmed its policy of rewarding whistleblowers who provide credible information that helps recover proceeds of corruption, including assets moved outside the country.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said people who provide information leading to successful recovery could receive between 2.5% and 5% of the recovered funds or assets.
Olukoyede made the remarks at the 43rd International Symposium on Economic Crime in Cambridge, where anti-corruption experts and practitioners from around the world gathered to discuss ways of tackling financial crimes.

EFCC SEEKS MORE INFORMATION FROM WHISTLEBLOWERS

Olukoyede said the reward system is intended to encourage people with knowledge of stolen Nigerian assets to provide information to investigators.
He urged participants with information about Nigerian assets allegedly taken abroad to contact the authorities, stressing that such intelligence could help investigators trace and recover funds obtained through corruption.
The EFCC chairman said the policy gives tipsters a financial incentive once their information results in a successful recovery.

TRACING ASSETS MOVED ABROAD

The agency has increasingly focused on tracing suspected proceeds of corruption that have been transferred outside Nigeria.
Olukoyede said access to reliable intelligence remains essential to identifying where illicit funds and assets are located and establishing the links between those assets and suspected criminal activity.
He also attributed some of the EFCC's recent successes to a stronger judiciary and improved access to credible intelligence.

ASSET FORFEITURE POWERS

Olukoyede also highlighted Nigeria's non-conviction-based asset forfeiture framework, which allows authorities to pursue suspected proceeds of crime without necessarily waiting for a criminal conviction.
He compared the system with approaches used in countries such as Australia and Canada.
According to the EFCC chairman, the mechanism has enabled authorities to secure the forfeiture of assets suspected of being acquired through illicit funds, including an aircraft, a university, estates and residential properties.
The framework remains an important part of the government's wider effort to recover assets allegedly obtained through corruption.

752 HOUSING UNITS LINKED TO EMEFIELE

Among the assets cited by Olukoyede were 752 housing units linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele.
The EFCC has also been investigating former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, although allegations against individuals remain subject to investigation and due process.
The agency says asset recovery is an important component of its strategy to deprive corrupt actors of the financial benefits of crime.

FORMER POWER MINISTER'S CONVICTION

Olukoyede pointed to the conviction of former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman as another recent development in Nigeria's anti-corruption efforts.
In May 2026, Mamman was sentenced to 75 years in prison after being convicted on 12 charges involving the diversion of almost $25 million linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
The EFCC chairman said such cases demonstrate the importance of credible intelligence, effective investigations and a judiciary capable of handling complex financial crime cases.

WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY DATES BACK TO 2016

Nigeria's whistleblower policy was first introduced in December 2016 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The policy was designed to encourage Nigerians to report information about stolen public funds and other financial misconduct in exchange for possible financial rewards.
However, despite the policy being more than a decade old, analysts have questioned the extent to which it has been consistently implemented.
Concerns have included uncertainty over the payment of rewards, protection for whistleblowers and the overall effectiveness of the system.

CAN REWARDS BOOST ASSET RECOVERY?

The EFCC believes financial incentives can encourage more people to provide information that investigators might otherwise struggle to obtain.
For whistleblowers, however, questions about confidentiality, protection and whether promised rewards will actually be paid could influence their willingness to come forward.
The effectiveness of the policy will therefore depend not only on the size of the financial reward but also on the EFCC's ability to protect informants and demonstrate that credible information leads to tangible recoveries.

NIGERIA'S CONTINUING FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Nigeria continues to face major challenges in recovering public funds allegedly lost through corruption and financial crimes.
The EFCC says stronger intelligence gathering, international cooperation, asset forfeiture and whistleblower participation are essential to tackling the problem.
By reaffirming the 2.5% to 5% reward, the commission is seeking to make whistleblowing a more attractive tool in the fight against corruption.
The broader challenge, however, will be ensuring that the policy operates transparently and consistently while protecting whistleblowers and respecting the rights of people under investigation.