Introduction
If you believe that a person, company, organisation or public official has been involved in fraud or another economic or financial crime, you may be able to report the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by writing a petition.
A well-written petition can help the EFCC understand what happened, identify the persons involved, locate relevant evidence and determine whether the matter falls within its mandate.
But writing a petition to the EFCC is not simply a matter of making allegations against someone. The petition should present the facts clearly, identify the alleged wrongdoing and provide the information and documents that can assist the Commission in investigating the complaint.
This article explains how to write a petition to the EFCC in Nigeria, what to include, how to submit it and what may happen after it is submitted.
What is an EFCC petition?
An EFCC petition is a written complaint or report asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate alleged economic or financial crimes.
The EFCC investigates economic and financial crimes within its statutory mandate. Its official materials identify matters such as bank fraud, advance fee fraud, money laundering, identity fraud, forgery, land fraud, tax evasion, pension fraud and other financial crimes among the matters that may come within its area of responsibility. (Economic and Financial Crime Commission)
A petition therefore provides information to the Commission about an alleged offence and asks it to take appropriate investigative action.
Who can write a petition to the EFCC?
A person who has information about an alleged economic or financial crime may submit a petition to the EFCC.
The petitioner may be:
- the person directly affected by the alleged offence;
- a person who has information about the alleged offence;
- a company or organisation;
- an authorised representative;
- or, in appropriate circumstances, an informant.
The important question is not simply whether the petitioner personally lost money. What matters is whether the information supplied concerns conduct that may fall within the EFCC’s mandate.
What kind of matters can be reported to the EFCC?
The EFCC should not be treated as a general debt recovery agency.
A disagreement over an ordinary commercial debt does not automatically become an EFCC matter simply because one party has failed to pay.
There should be facts suggesting an economic or financial crime within the Commission’s mandate.
For example, depending on the facts, a complaint may involve:
- obtaining money by false pretence;
- advance fee fraud;
- fraudulent diversion of funds;
- bank fraud;
- money laundering;
- identity fraud;
- forgery connected with an economic or financial crime;
- land or property fraud;
- pension fraud;
- tax-related financial offences;
- corruption-related financial offences;
- procurement-related fraud;
- cyber-related financial crimes; or
- other economic and financial crimes within the Commission’s statutory mandate.
The precise offence should, however, be considered carefully. A petitioner does not need to turn the petition into a criminal charge or provide a final legal conclusion. The most important thing is to state the facts accurately and provide the available evidence.
Where the matter does not fall within the EFCC’s mandate, the appropriate law enforcement agency may be the proper avenue for making a complaint. For guidance on preparing a police petition, see our article on How to Write a Petition to the Police in Nigeria.
How to write a petition to the EFCC
EFCC’s FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC), under Question 58, titled “What are the elements of a petition?”, sets out the basic elements that a petition to the Commission should contain. It should be addressed to the Executive Chairman of the EFCC and contain the petitioner’s contact details, a title, an introduction, the body of the complaint containing the relevant facts and documents or sources of information, a conclusion, and the petitioner’s name and signature.
A practical EFCC petition can therefore be structured as follows.
1. Address the petition appropriately
The petition may begin with:
The Executive Chairman
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Abuja, Nigeria.
You may also submit the petition through an appropriate EFCC office or official reporting channel.
2. Give the petition a clear title
The title should immediately tell the EFCC what the petition concerns.
For example:
PETITION AGAINST MR. JOHN DOE FOR ALLEGED OBTAINING OF MONEY BY FALSE PRETENCE, FRAUDULENT CONVERSION AND OTHER RELATED ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES
The title should not contain sensational or exaggerated language. It should accurately describe the complaint.
3. Identify yourself
State your full name, address, telephone number and other appropriate contact details.
If you are writing on behalf of a company or another person, identify that fact and state your authority to act where necessary.
4. Identify the person or persons being complained about
Give as much identifying information as you reasonably have.
This may include:
- full name;
- company name;
- business address;
- residential or office address, where lawfully known;
- telephone number;
- email address;
- bank account details;
- company registration details;
- social media accounts;
- vehicle details;
- employment or official position; and
- any other information that can assist the EFCC in identifying the person.
Do not invent information. If you do not know something, simply say so.
5. State the facts chronologically
This is one of the most important parts of the petition.
Explain what happened in the order in which it happened.
For example:
- When did you first meet or deal with the person?
- What representation was made to you?
- What agreement was reached?
- How much money was involved?
- When and how was the money transferred?
- Into which account was it paid?
- What was the money supposed to be used for?
- What subsequently happened?
- When did you discover the alleged fraud?
- What did you do after discovering it?
- What response did the person give?
- What evidence do you have?
A petition should allow an investigator who knows nothing about the dispute to understand what happened simply by reading it.
6. Identify the alleged wrongdoing
After setting out the facts, explain why you believe the conduct should be investigated.
For example:
The circumstances stated above have caused me to believe that the funds obtained from me may have been fraudulently diverted and that the conduct disclosed in this petition requires investigation by the Commission.
You may identify the suspected offence where you are reasonably certain of it, but avoid making unsupported legal conclusions.
The facts and evidence should do most of the work.
7. State the amount of money involved
Where money is involved, state the exact amount.
For example:
I transferred the total sum of ₦15,000,000.00 to the account specified by the Respondent in three separate transactions.
Where there were multiple payments, list them separately and provide the dates, amounts and transaction references.
This makes the petition substantially easier to investigate.
8. Explain the evidence you have
Do not merely say that you have evidence.
Identify it.
Your evidence may include:
- bank transfer receipts;
- bank statements;
- account details;
- contracts;
- invoices;
- receipts;
- WhatsApp conversations;
- emails;
- text messages;
- photographs;
- audio or video recordings, where lawfully obtained;
- company documents;
- property documents;
- letters;
- acknowledgements of debt;
- statements of account;
- transaction records;
- witness information; and
- other documents relevant to the allegations.
9. Refer to your attachments
If you have supporting documents, label them clearly.
For example:
Annexure A: Copy of agreement dated 12 January 2026.
Annexure B: Evidence of bank transfer of ₦5,000,000.00.
Annexure C: WhatsApp correspondence between the parties.
Annexure D: Bank statement showing the relevant transactions.
Then refer to those documents in the body of the petition.
This is much better than attaching twenty documents without explaining what each document is supposed to establish.
10. State what you want the EFCC to do
The petition should conclude with a clear request.
For example:
In view of the foregoing, I respectfully request the Commission to investigate the allegations contained in this petition and take such further action as may be appropriate upon the outcome of its investigation.
If you have specific information that may assist the investigation, you can mention it.
For example, if you know that relevant funds were transferred into particular accounts, identify those accounts and explain why you believe they are relevant.
11. Sign the petition
End the petition with your name and signature.
Sample petition to the EFCC
A simple petition may be structured like this:
The Executive Chairman
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Abuja, Nigeria.PETITION AGAINST [NAME] FOR ALLEGED [NATURE OF ALLEGED ECONOMIC OR FINANCIAL CRIME]
Dear Sir,
INTRODUCTION
I, [FULL NAME], of [ADDRESS], respectfully submit this petition requesting the Commission to investigate the conduct of [NAME OF PERSON/COMPANY] concerning [brief description of the complaint].
I may be contacted on [TELEPHONE NUMBER] and [EMAIL ADDRESS].
Facts of the complaint
- On or about [DATE], I [explain what happened].
- [NAME OF PERSON/COMPANY] represented to me that [state the relevant representation].
- Relying on that representation, I [state what you did].
- On [DATE], I transferred the sum of ₦[AMOUNT] to [ACCOUNT NAME/ACCOUNT NUMBER/BANK], as shown by the attached transaction record marked Annexure A.
- Despite [explain what was expected to happen], [state what actually happened].
- I subsequently contacted [NAME] on [DATE] and requested [state what you requested].
- [State the response received, if any.]
- The circumstances described above have caused me to believe that [briefly state why you believe the matter requires investigation].
Evidence
In support of this petition, I attach the following documents:
- Annexure A: [description];
- Annexure B: [description];
- Annexure C: [description]; and
- Annexure D: [description].
Request
In view of the foregoing, I respectfully request the Commission to investigate the allegations contained in this petition and take such action as may be appropriate upon the outcome of its investigation.
I am willing to provide any further information or documents that may assist the Commission in investigating this matter.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
[FULL NAME]
[SIGNATURE]
[TELEPHONE NUMBER]
[ADDRESS]
[EMAIL ADDRESS]
How do you submit a petition to the EFCC?
The EFCC currently provides a “Submit Petition” facility on its official website. The Commission also publishes its official contact details, including its central email address, info@efcc.gov.ng.
The EFCC has also stated in its publications that petitions may be submitted at its offices and through official electronic channels.
Its headquarters is located at 302 Institutions and Research District, 301, Jabi, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
Because reporting channels and office arrangements can change, it is advisable to check the EFCC’s official website for the current submission method before sending a petition.
Can an EFCC petition be anonymous?
Yes, the EFCC’s published FAQ, under Question 65, states that a petitioner may choose to remain anonymous, provided this is indicated in the petition.
However, the same EFCC guidance states that the petitioner’s full details must be made available to the Commission where required during investigation.
An anonymous report should therefore not be confused with a situation in which the Commission has no information about the informant.
If you are considering making an anonymous report because you fear retaliation, it is particularly important to consider carefully what information you provide and how you submit it.
Does the EFCC charge a fee for investigation?
According to Question 76 of the EFCC’s Frequently Asked Questions about the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Commission does not charge a fee for investigating petitions or complaints.
This is important because members of the public should be wary of anyone who claims that money must be paid to an EFCC officer simply for the purpose of investigating a petition.
What happens after you submit a petition to the EFCC?
Submitting a petition does not mean that the person complained against has been found guilty.
The petition is an allegation that requires assessment and, where appropriate, investigation.
Under Question 59 of the EFCC’s Frequently Asked Questions about the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a submitted petition is evaluated. Where the matter falls within the Commission’s mandate, it is assigned for investigation and, where necessary, prosecution. Where the petition does not fall within the EFCC’s purview, it is sent to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
The EFCC has also explained that a petitioner may be contacted for additional information during the investigation.
How quickly does the EFCC act on a petition?
A person who submits a petition to the EFCC may naturally want to know how long it will take before the Commission takes action.
Under Question 64 of the EFCC’s Frequently Asked Questions about the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Commission addresses the question: “How long does it take the Commission to act on a petition?”
The EFCC’s response is that it acts on petitions as soon as they are received.
This does not mean that every petition will immediately result in an investigation, arrest or prosecution. The EFCC first has to evaluate the petition and determine whether the matter falls within its mandate. As explained under Question 59 of the same FAQ, a petition that falls within the Commission’s mandate may be assigned for investigation and, where necessary, prosecution.
Therefore, submitting a petition does not mean that the person complained against has been found guilty or that a particular investigative step is guaranteed to occur immediately. It means that the complaint has been brought to the attention of the Commission for consideration and appropriate action.
If you have submitted a petition, it is therefore important to keep a copy of the petition, proof of submission and copies of all supporting documents. You should also be prepared to provide additional information or documents if the Commission requires them.
Does the EFCC automatically recover your money after you submit a petition?
No.
A petition to the EFCC is not the same thing as a civil action for debt recovery.
If you have lost money through an alleged economic or financial crime, an investigation may lead to appropriate criminal proceedings and other measures where legally justified. However, you should not assume that simply submitting a petition guarantees that your money will be recovered.
Depending on the circumstances, you may also need independent legal advice about possible civil proceedings or other remedies.
Common mistakes to avoid when writing an EFCC petition
1. Making unsupported accusations
Do not describe someone as a “criminal”, “fraudster” or “thief” merely because you have a dispute with that person.
State the facts and explain why you believe the matter should be investigated.
2. Turning the petition into an ordinary debt demand
The EFCC should not be used simply to pressure someone into paying a genuine civil debt.
If the real dispute is contractual and there is no evidence of an economic or financial crime, another legal remedy may be more appropriate.
3. Exaggerating the allegations
Do not add allegations simply because you think they will make the petition appear more serious.
False or misleading information can create serious problems for the petitioner.
4. Omitting important documents
If a bank transfer, contract, receipt, conversation or other document is central to your complaint, include it where appropriate.
5. Writing an unnecessarily long petition
A petition should be detailed enough to explain the complaint but organised enough for an investigator to follow easily.
6. Sending evidence without explanation
Do not simply attach a large collection of documents.
Explain what each important document is and why it is relevant.
7. Assuming that every financial dispute is an EFCC matter
The fact that money is involved does not automatically make a dispute an EFCC matter.
The circumstances must disclose an allegation that falls within the Commission’s mandate.
What makes a good EFCC petition?
A good petition is:
Clear: The investigator should understand the complaint without having to guess what happened.
Specific: Dates, amounts, names, account details and other relevant particulars should be provided.
Evidence-based: Important allegations should be supported by available documents or other information.
Chronological: The events should generally be presented in the order in which they occurred.
Focused: The petition should concentrate on the conduct being reported.
Honest: Facts should not be invented or exaggerated.
Action-oriented: The petition should clearly state the investigation or other appropriate action being requested.
Conclusion
Writing a petition to the EFCC is relatively straightforward, but writing an effective petition requires more than simply stating that someone defrauded you.
The petition should tell a coherent story: who did what, when they did it, how the transaction occurred, what money or property was involved, what evidence exists and why the matter deserves investigation.
Most importantly, a petition should contain facts that can be investigated. The EFCC’s role is not to accept every allegation as established fact. Its published procedure makes clear that petitions are evaluated and matters within its mandate may then proceed to investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution.
If you are preparing a petition, take time to organise your documents and present the facts accurately. Where the circumstances are complicated, particularly where substantial sums of money, multiple transactions, companies, property or several persons are involved, it may be advisable to obtain legal advice before submitting the petition.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. The procedure, requirements and information provided are based on publicly available sources and may change. If your circumstances are specific or involve substantial sums of money or complex allegations, consider obtaining independent legal advice before submitting a petition.
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