Did Alex Otti ban EFCC officials from operating in Abia?

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A claim that Abia State governor, Alex Otti, has banned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from operating in the state has surfaced online.

The claim originated from a TikTok post by a user identified as @hopestarstvtalkshow. The post – a screenshot with music background – alleged that the governor had banned the EFCC from operating or arresting any youth in the state.

READ THIS: Skit video showing EFCC officials being harassed by military personnel goes viral

The claim read:

Abia state Governor Alex Otti bans EFCC from operating in the state or arresting any abia youth.He declared Abia free from fraud urging the commission to focus on arresting Fulani Herdsmen and bandits instead.

It was also accompanied with a caption that read thus: “We want this in Edo state.”

As of June 10, 2025, the TikTok post had garnered over 37,000 likes, with more than 3,000 shares, over 2,000 comments and over 1,400 bookmarks.

Due to the sketchy nature of the claim, The FactCheckHub decided to verify its accuracy.

 

CLAIM

Alex Otti bans EFCC from operating in Abia State.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

When we conducted a keyword search on the post, it did not return any substantial or credible reports concerning the issue as issue of such magnitude would be widely reported by local media outlets.

Further checks show that a governor cannot legally ban the EFCC from operating in any Nigerian state.

Screenshot of appearance of the claim, Insert FALSE verdict
Screenshot of the claim retrieved from TikTok. Insert: FALSE verdict.

The EFCC was established by an Act of the National Assembly (EFCC Act, 2004) and is empowered to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes across all the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Since it is a creation of federal law, it operates under the Exclusive List of the Federal Government in Nigeria under the Nigerian Constitution, meaning only the Federal Government has authority over its functions.

Under the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended), federal agencies are not subject to the control of the state governments. Just like governors cannot stop the police, DSS, or NDLEA from operating in their states, they cannot legally bar the EFCC either.

Nigerian courts have consistently upheld that federal agencies like the EFCC have the right to operate across Nigeria. Even where state governments try to use state laws or courts to restrain EFCC operations, federal courts usually overrule such attempts.

Speaking with The FactCheckHub, Abduljelil Egbewole, a Nigerian lawyer, noted that a state governor cannot ban EFCC from operating in any Nigerian state; however, their efforts can be frustrated.

ALSO READ: False claim circulates that Alex Otti is the first elected Labour Party governor in Nigeria

“In practice, some governors attempt to frustrate EFCC operations by denying them access to state facilities like involving state police to block or delay arrests and getting state courts to issue temporary orders against EFCC activities. But such moves are temporary and political, they do not hold legal weight in the long term and are often overturned in federal courts,” Egbewole, who is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Law at the University of Bradford, noted.

THE VERDICT

The claim that Alex Otti has banned the EFCC from operating in Abia State is FALSE; as federal agencies are not subject to the control of the state governments.

Fact-checker at The FactheckHub | fquadri@icirnigeria.org |  + posts

Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.

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