The Senate has resolved to investigate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged deductions of 2 percent from recovered funds without prior legislative approval.

The resolution followed a motion on Tuesday by Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende (APC, Benue North East), who had commended the EFCC for its impressive performance despite operational challenges. Udende revealed that in 2024, the agency received 15,724 petitions, investigated 10,928 cases, filed 5,081 court cases, secured 4,111 convictions, and recovered billions of naira for the government.

However, Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central) raised concerns over the legality of the EFCC’s 2 percent deductions, questioning whether the commission obtained the necessary legislative authorisation.

In response, Udende explained that while the law requires presidential approval for such deductions, which must then be transmitted to the National Assembly for ratification, this process had not been followed in recent times.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session, stressed the need to confirm whether the EFCC had ever sought or obtained presidential consent for the deductions. He directed the relevant committees to investigate the legal basis for the practice and report their findings.

The Senate further mandated its committees to strengthen oversight of the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to due process in handling recovered assets.