Expose Stolen Nigerian Assets, Earn Up to 5% Reward — EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has renewed its call for whistleblowers in Nigeria and abroad to provide credible information that could help trace and recover stolen Nigerian assets, with eligible informants potentially receiving between 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent of successfully recovered funds or assets.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, made the call while speaking at the 43rd International Symposium on Economic Crime in Cambridge, United Kingdom, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
Olukoyede said individuals with useful information about Nigerian assets stolen or moved anywhere in the world could approach the authorities and benefit from the country’s whistleblower incentive framework if their information leads to successful recovery.
“If any of you is privy to where Nigerian assets are stolen or taken to anywhere in the world, we have an incentive for you,” Olukoyede said.
He explained that a whistleblower could receive between 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent following the successful recovery of assets linked to the information provided.
The EFCC chairman suggested that the financial reward could be substantial where the recovered assets are of significant value, encouraging people with genuine information to come forward.
His remarks have since attracted attention, particularly on social media, where the message has been presented in different forms.
However, the EFCC chairman’s statement should not be interpreted as an invitation for Nigerians to make unsubstantiated allegations against politicians, public officials or private individuals.
The offer is tied to credible and actionable information capable of assisting authorities in tracing and ultimately recovering stolen Nigerian assets.
Reward Depends on Successful Recovery
The whistleblower incentive is not simply an automatic five per cent payment for reporting suspected corruption.
The amount payable under Nigeria’s whistleblower framework generally ranges from 2.5 per cent to 5 per cent and depends on the value of the assets successfully recovered.
This means merely submitting an allegation does not automatically qualify an individual for financial compensation.
Information provided must be credible, useful to investigators and ultimately contribute to the recovery of stolen or concealed assets.
For example, information identifying the location of funds, properties or other assets allegedly linked to unlawful activity could potentially assist investigators. Authorities would still have to investigate the information and follow the appropriate legal procedures before any asset could be recovered or forfeited.
The distinction is particularly important at a time when allegations can spread rapidly through social media.
The EFCC’s whistleblower initiative is intended to generate actionable intelligence, not encourage rumours or unsupported accusations.
Whistleblower Policy Dates Back to 2016
Nigeria’s whistleblower policy is not a newly introduced programme.
The Federal Government launched the Whistleblower Policy in December 2016 as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against corruption and encourage people with information about stolen or concealed public funds to report them.
The framework provides financial incentives where information supplied by a whistleblower directly contributes to the recovery of public funds or assets.
Olukoyede’s latest remarks therefore represent a renewed effort to draw attention to the existing system and encourage people with credible information, including those who may know the whereabouts of Nigerian assets outside the country, to cooperate with anti-corruption authorities.
The international dimension is significant because proceeds of corruption and financial crimes can be transferred through different jurisdictions, converted into properties or concealed through complex ownership arrangements.
Recovering such assets may require intelligence sharing, financial investigation and cooperation between Nigerian authorities and institutions in other countries.
EFCC Highlights Major Asset Recoveries
During his presentation in Cambridge, Olukoyede also highlighted the commission’s efforts in tracing and recovering assets believed to be proceeds of financial crimes.
The EFCC chairman said the commission had secured the forfeiture of cash and assets valued at more than $500 million to the Federal Government within three years.
According to him, the recoveries demonstrate the importance of effective investigations, credible intelligence and cooperation within the justice system.
Asset recovery has increasingly become a major component of anti-corruption enforcement because financial crimes do not always involve money remaining in conventional bank accounts.
Illicit proceeds may be converted into houses, estates, businesses, vehicles and other valuable assets. In some cases, funds may also be transferred abroad, making investigations more complicated.
Information from people familiar with such transactions can therefore provide investigators with important leads.
Whistleblower Protection Remains Important
While financial incentives may encourage people to provide information, protection for whistleblowers remains another important element of an effective reporting system.
People who expose financial wrongdoing may fear retaliation, loss of employment or other consequences, particularly where allegations involve influential individuals or organisations.
Olukoyede acknowledged the importance of protecting people who provide genuine information to authorities.
A credible whistleblower system therefore requires more than financial rewards. Potential informants must have confidence that sensitive information will be handled appropriately and that legitimate whistleblowers will receive necessary protection.
Authorities must also ensure that reports are properly investigated before conclusions are reached.
Not Specifically an Appeal to Nigerian Youths
Some social media posts reporting Olukoyede’s comments have claimed that the EFCC told Nigerian youths to expose politicians hiding money in Nigeria or abroad and receive five per cent of the recovered funds.
That wording does not accurately capture the broader statement attributed to the EFCC chairman.
Olukoyede’s appeal was not limited specifically to Nigerian youths, nor was it framed exclusively around politicians.
His invitation covered people with credible information concerning stolen Nigerian assets taken or concealed anywhere in the world.
The difference is important.
While stolen public assets could potentially involve politically exposed persons, the whistleblower framework is broader than any particular category of individuals.
Similarly, the incentive is between 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent rather than an automatic five per cent reward in every case.
A Potential Tool Against Hidden Wealth
The renewed whistleblower appeal could strengthen Nigeria’s asset recovery efforts if people with genuine knowledge of concealed funds and properties are willing to provide credible information to investigators.
Insiders can sometimes possess information that investigators may struggle to obtain through conventional means, including details about transactions, ownership structures, bank accounts or locations of assets.
When properly verified, such information could help authorities identify assets and begin the legal processes required for recovery.
The potential financial incentive could therefore encourage people who might otherwise remain silent to cooperate with authorities.
But the effectiveness of the system will depend on more than the size of the reward.
Public confidence, confidentiality, whistleblower protection, transparent reward procedures, professional investigations and adherence to due process will all be important.
For Nigerians considering the EFCC chairman’s invitation, the central message is straightforward: credible information matters.
It is not enough to accuse someone of corruption or claim that a public official has hidden money somewhere.
Information must be capable of helping investigators locate assets, establish relevant connections and pursue recovery through lawful procedures.
Olukoyede’s message from Cambridge therefore carries a stronger and more precise meaning than some of the viral versions circulating online.
Provide credible information that leads to the recovery of stolen Nigerian assets, and an eligible whistleblower could receive between 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent of the recovered value.
For a country that continues to confront corruption, illicit financial flows and the movement of stolen wealth across borders, the EFCC is effectively asking people who know where the assets are to help authorities find them with a potentially significant reward for information that delivers results.
