Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ola Olukoyede has invited Nigerians and others with credible information to report stolen or illicitly transferred Nigerian assets abroad, promising whistleblowers rewards of between 2.5% and 5% of the recovered value.
Olukoyede made the announcement on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while speaking at the 43rd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime in the United Kingdom.
Olukoyede Announces Reward
The EFCC chairman urged participants with information about Nigerian assets taken abroad to come forward.
“I welcome all of you to the world of whistleblowing. If any of you know where a Nigerian asset has been stolen or taken anywhere in the world, we have an incentive for you. Between 2.5% and 5% will go back to you upon recovery,” he said.
He said the incentive is intended to encourage credible intelligence that can help Nigerian authorities trace and recover assets linked to corruption.
Reward Based on Recovery Value
Olukoyede explained that the incentive operates under Nigeria’s 2016 Whistleblower Policy, which provides different reward rates depending on the value of assets recovered.
Under the policy, whistleblowers can receive up to 5% for recoveries of up to ₦1 billion, with lower percentages applying to higher-value recoveries.
The incentive covers information that directly leads to the recovery of monetary or non-monetary assets moved outside Nigeria as proceeds of corruption.
Olukoyede said successful tips involving high-value assets could potentially make whistleblowers millionaires.
EFCC Seeks Stronger Protection
The EFCC chairman also called for stronger legal protection for people who provide information about financial crimes.
He described intelligence as an important part of the commission’s work, alongside investigative capacity, international cooperation and judicial processes.
Olukoyede also disclosed that the EFCC has secured the forfeiture of cash and assets worth more than $500 million to the Nigerian government since he assumed office about three years ago.
His presentation also addressed the use of non-conviction-based forfeiture in Nigeria’s asset recovery efforts.
Focus on Assets Abroad
The announcement has renewed attention on Nigeria’s efforts to trace illicit funds and other assets moved overseas.
The reward offer was widely circulated after Vanguard Newspapers shared a video of Olukoyede’s remarks on X on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
The EFCC continues to rely on public intelligence and international cooperation to identify, trace and recover assets suspected to have been acquired through corruption and other financial crimes.
