Soludo Recalls EFCC Investigation After CBN Tenure, Says Agency Cleared Him

By Emeka Henry Obi

October 3, 2026

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has recounted his experience with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after leaving office as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), saying an investigation involving his name eventually found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Soludo spoke on Friday during the commissioning of the EFCC Awka Zonal Directorate Complex, which is expected to serve Anambra and Imo states.

The governor said his name came up during an investigation involving the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Plc, popularly known as the Mint, where he had served as board chairman during his tenure at the CBN.

According to Soludo, he received a month's notice to appear before the EFCC and honoured the invitation. He said, however, that he did not hear from the commission again for about a year.

He explained that he later contacted the agency to request an update and was informed that the investigation had not established any corrupt conduct against him.

Soludo said his experience demonstrated the importance of the EFCC communicating the outcome of investigations to individuals who are invited for questioning but are subsequently cleared.

He said the former EFCC chairman had also clarified at the time that he was not the subject of the investigation despite his name being mentioned in connection with the matter.

According to the governor, the commission subsequently sent him a formal letter confirming that the investigation had found no wrongdoing on his part.

“Subsequently, the Commission wrote me a beautiful letter and said the investigation showed I didn’t have anything to do with the matter,” Soludo said.

The governor praised what he described as the professionalism of the EFCC and urged the commission to formally notify individuals when investigations involving them are concluded without establishing wrongdoing.

He argued that such communication was particularly important because an invitation by a law enforcement agency can easily be interpreted by the public as evidence of guilt.

Soludo Welcomes EFCC Zonal Office in Awka

Speaking about the newly commissioned Awka zonal directorate, Soludo said the presence of the EFCC in the state would help accelerate investigations into financial crimes across the South-East.

He said Anambra was pleased to host the regional office because its proximity would make it easier for investigations involving Anambra and Imo to be handled more efficiently.

According to the governor, the regional office would reduce delays that could arise when cases have to be handled from Abuja or other distant locations.

Soludo acknowledged the EFCC's staffing limitations, noting that the commission could not realistically establish offices across all 774 local government areas of the country with its current workforce.

He therefore described the regional office as an important interim arrangement for improving the commission's reach.

The governor pledged the cooperation of the Anambra State Government with the EFCC and said the state would seek the agency's support on revenue, taxation and financial crime prevention.

He also said the government would work with the commission to strengthen awareness of financial crimes among civil servants and local government officials.

“We will not just be waiting for you to come from Abuja; we will be visiting you because it’s in our own interest that we should minimise financial crimes to the barest minimum. We assure EFCC of our fullest co-operation,” Soludo said.

The governor maintained that tackling economic and financial crimes requires cooperation between government institutions, public officials and citizens, describing the EFCC's role as important to strengthening accountability and supporting national development.