The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Modibbo Tukur by President Muhammadu Buhari as Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
This followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes which screened Tukur for the NFIU top position.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, presented the committee’s report at plenary on Wednesday.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, nominated Tukur as the director of the NFIU in accordance with Section 5(1) of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) Act 2018.
Saraki congratulated Tukur on his appointment and urged him to remain neutral in the performance of duties.
Saraki said: “We moved for the independence of the NFIU which will help in the fight against corruption. I thank you all who participated in the creation of this unit.
“As has been said by some of our colleagues, this is a very important unit.
“We must ensure the neutrality, professionalism and independence of this unit because whatever it does reflects on the country in the fight against corruption.”
The NFIU was under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before the bill for its independence was passed by the Senate on March 7, 2018 and assented to on July 11, 2018 by President Buhari.