Corruption fighters must be Ahead of Fraudsters- Olukoyede

Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has called on corruption fighters across the country to always strive to be ahead of fraudsters in intelligence, focus, thinking and strategies in order to tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.

He gave the charge on Thursday, November 16, 2023 in Abuja, while receiving representatives of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, RoLAC that paid him a courtesy visit at the corporate headquarters of the EFCC, in Jabi, Abuja.   Olukoyede explained that fraudulent schemes and fraudsters across the world have become dynamic, especially with the advances in technology and to tackle them, corruption fighters must be more dynamic and resourceful. “You must be ahead of the corrupt in every way.  The world has gone digital and dynamic. So, corruption fighters should hone their skills at all times and not rest on their oars”, he said.

He commended RoLAC for its consistency and commitment to the cause of fighting corruption, stressing that the EFCC would always collaborate with it in entrenching transparency and sound justice delivery in the anti-corruption corridor.   Let’s work along the chain of justice delivery more and more”, he said.  He sued for more support for the Commission in the area of capacity building.

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Earlier in their presentations,  Mr. Danladi Plang, RoLAC’s Head of Programme and Dr. Emmanuel Uche,  Programme Manager on Anti-Corruption, explained that the European Union,  EU,  expressed satisfaction with all the programmes RoLAC had with the EFCC,  promising that the EFCC’s priorities would be RoLAC’s priorities.   They also expressed their commitment to strengthening their collaboration with the EFCC in the areas of capacity building, improved technology, research and training in the fight against corruption.

According to Plang, the EU- funded projects through RoLAC are in the second phase of implementation. The first phase ended successfully in March 2023, with the EFCC as one of its core beneficiaries. The project earned the EFCC development of E-achieve, Strategic Plan and support for capacity building in investigation and prosecution.

“Phase two of our program commenced in June this year, so we are here to introduce ourselves and seek your support,  as well as to get your priority areas where you think we can be of help, because even the EU has recognized that our partnership with you has yielded great impact. So, this time we hope that we will enjoy more of that because we are looking towards building the capacity of the Commission`s investigators, prosecutors, including the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, the Academy and of course your operatives “, he said.

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Uche said that the EFCC’s role as the leading  anti-graft agency in Nigeria is instructive,  urging the Commission to sustain the role of coordinating other agencies, especially emerging anti-corruption bodies in some states in Nigeria  in order to improve the criminal justice system.

In her contributions, Director, Department of Planning, Policy, Research, and Statistics, Commander of the EFCC, CE Hadiza Gamawa appreciated the contribution of RoLAC to the EFCC over the years, stressing that the Commission needed more support to continue to deliver optimal results in the fight against corruption.

Benedict Agweye, Director of Forensics and Laboratory added that the Commission has been very active in providing support for other agencies especially in the area of forensics.