Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, said he was told the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives take instructions from the highest bidders in corruption cases.

The monarch disclosed this while hosting Effa Okim, the new Benin zonal director of EFCC, in his palace in Benin on Monday.

“No matter how much you try to support the EFCC from the palace, It is very difficult because they seem to listen to other parties. What I have been told is that they take instructions from the highest bidder,” the monarch said.

He added, “We get news from everywhere. We try to assist the EFCC. I even wrote a letter to the then-chairman who was removed from office.”

The monarch expressed displeasure in the manner the anti-graft agency managed a case involving a palace official under former EFCC chair.

“I even sent an emissary to talk to him regarding certain elements in Edo State, particularly the palace. How can EFCC operatives, especially the lady who handled the case I cited earlier, behave like that? If I was asked to comment on her performance, I would score her zero. I do not know if she was doing an EFCC job or just dancing to the tunes of people who were giving her money.

“At the time we were trying to assist EFCC, the report we kept getting was negative, and I was not happy about it,” the monarch said.

Mr Okim, however, urged the monarch to support the anti-graft agency in combating financial crimes in the state.