President commissions EFCC's new N24bn head office building

President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the new head office building of anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in Abuja on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.

At the commissioning, President Buhari said his administration's fight against corruption is an attempt to save the country and not to persecute anyone.

"My objective of fighting corruption remains steadfast. The goal of this administration is to protect public trust. We are not engaged in witch-hunting," he said.

The office, located along Airport Road, Jabi, in the Federal Capital Territory, will now serve as the anti-graft agency's headquaters after conducting its operations from rented quarters for years.

N24 billion building draws criticism

The construction of the 10-storey building was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), during the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, on November 24, 2010.

Even though it was billed to cost N18 billion, the building was completed for N24 billion due to fluctuating foreign exchange.

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With public criticism over the cost of the building, acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, said the project is worth the cost so as to make the war against corruption more efficient.

While speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday, he said, "It's not for me to defend. It's for the professional to come and see it to assess whether it is worth whatever it is. It's worth it.

"We need to move to a better place because we're occupying rented quarters. As it is now, we have our men and facilities and sessions, investigations and prosecutions scattered in rented quarters so this does not give a secure confidentiality of documents and so, if you put everyone in one house, I think you get a better coordination."

The building is supposed to be Nigeria's own replica of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).