The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has called on accountants nationwide to uphold the ethics of their profession and adhere strictly to Nigeria’s financial regulations.

According to him, fraud within the public sector is almost impossible without the involvement of accountants.

In a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Olukoyede made these remarks during his goodwill message at the 29th Annual National Conference of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN).

Represented by the EFCC’s Director of Finance and Accounts, Ahmed Pate, Olukoyede emphasised the critical role accountants play in enabling various forms of fraud.

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“Indeed, there is hardly any public sector fraud that can occur without the complicity of an accountant,” Olukoyede said.

He said that, whether it involves embezzlement, procurement fraud, payroll fraud, or pension fraud, accountants are often key facilitators.

He pointed out specific instances, including the indictment of two former Accountant Generals of the Federation for fraud, one of whom was a Fellow of ANAN.

“One of these individuals placed personal financial interests above both professional and national responsibilities, tampering with public funds,” he said, without prejudice to ongoing legal proceedings.

Olukoyede also revealed cases in which accountants were convicted of misappropriating public funds and assisting clients in money laundering. He urged ANAN to take a firm stance against unethical practices by revoking the licenses of members found guilty of fraud.