Richard Ginika Izuora
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdurrasheed Bawa has called on Nigerians in Diaspora to support the Commission in the fight against Money laundering and other financial crimes.
The EFCC boss made the call while speaking virtually at an Expert Training and Advocacy on Tracking and Recovery of Illicit Funds and Assets organized by the Human & Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, in collaboration with the EFCC, MacArthur Foundation, Kent Law School, Open Society Initiative for West Africa, OSIWA, the Corner House and other stakeholders.
Bawa, who was represented by Dr. Enakeno Oju, a staff of the Commission, urged Nigerians in Diaspora to continue to support the fight against economic and financial crimes. “As critical stakeholders, we are urging the Nigerians in Diaspora to continue to support the fight against economic and financial crimes and to be assured of the EFCC’s support and commitment. We must collectively strive to achieve the Nigerian dream.”
Highlighting the importance of the collaboration, the EFCC boss told participants that the Commission has provided a Diaspora Information Desk at the Commission “to attend to issues of concerns from the Diaspora and to further ensure that Nigerians in Diaspora are able to safely invest in Nigeria and to improve the image of Nigeria among the comity of nations.”
The Executive Chairman also called on the Nigerians in Diaspora to assist the Commission with vital information about Nigerian looters. “I am therefore calling on you to assist the EFCC in getting vital information about Nigerian looters who stash our stolen monies and properties in the United Kingdom and other foreign countries. Nigerians in Diaspora cannot afford to sit on the fence. They are closer to the scene of Crime, therefore, must play an active role in the war against graft and provide vital information to the EFCC that will assist in the recovery of our stolen wealth abroad,” he said.
Bawa also bemoaned the challenges Nigeria is facing as a result of illegal movement of funds from Nigeria to other countries and the new techniques deployed by organized criminal groups in siphoning the wealth of this country to other countries which according to him “constitute a severe and damaging drain on the Nigerian economy”.
“Organized criminal groups have developed intricate channels of illicit flows that deprived African economies of crucial resources for development,” he said.
Other participants at the event include CDS Ahmed M. Ghali of the EFCC, who spoke on, How to Spot and Detect Money Laundering.