The House of Representatives has taken a major step toward granting greater independence to Nigeria’s anti-graft agency — the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Lawmakers on Thursday passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004, to reduce presidential control and strengthen the agency’s institutional autonomy.

The bill, sponsored by Yusuf Gagdi, a lawmaker from Plateau State, aims to align Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws with international standards and shield the EFCC from political interference.

Leading debate on the floor, Gagdi said the current EFCC law is outdated and inadequate to tackle the modern wave of financial crimes now confronting the country — including cyber fraud, cryptocurrency scams, terrorism financing, and money laundering through real estate.

He argued that under existing law, the President can remove the EFCC Chairman at will, without any input from the National Assembly — a provision he described as “a weak point” that undermines the Commission’s credibility.

“Furthermore, the existing Act does not provide sufficient guarantees for the independence of the Commission, exposing it to external influence and political interference.”

One of the proposed amendments seeks to curtail the President’s power to remove the EFCC Chairman, which under the current law can be done at the President’s sole discretion.

Section 3(2) of the EFCC Act, 2004, provides that:“A member of the Commission may at any time be removed by the President for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct, or if the President is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the Commission or the interest of the public that the member should continue in office.”

Gagdi explained that the amendment would require a two-thirds majority approval of both chambers of the National Assembly before the EFCC Chairman can be removed from office.

According to him, such a safeguard would restore public confidence in the agency and guarantee that its leadership is not subject to political pressure.

In his words: “This amendment is a decisive step towards strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework. It will make the EFCC a professional, transparent, and truly independent institution.”

Supporting the motion, Ginger Onwusibe, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, said the review was long overdue, as many modern financial offences are not captured in the original Act passed over 20 years ago.

The bill was later unanimously passed for second reading and referred to the relevant committee for further legislative action.