Olukoyede amplifying international collaborations in anti-corruption fight

BY TONY EGBULEFU

Ola Olukoyede, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been intentional in blazing trails in international law enforcement collaborations. The target upshot is the disruption and dismantling of organized crime networks and denial of criminal elements of the proceeds of their crimes, irrespective of their domains.

Whereas the Commission carries out joint field operations with law enforcement agencies of foreign jurisdictions as the occasion calls, transatlantic collaborations and partnerships involving the EFCC have attained a new height under his leadership.

A remarkable result of this was the record setting July 14, 2024 official visit of the FBI Director, Christopher Wray to the Commission. The FBI Director flew into the country to personally broker a new strategic alliance between the Bureau and EFCC towards tackling the waves of emerging and old crimes that are of mutual interest to Nigeria and the United States. It was the first of its kind in history.

While expressing delight at the bond that has existed over the years between the EFCC and FBI, Wray observed the need and urgency to scale up the relationship in the face of common crime threats that confront Nigeria and the US. “We have had a relationship over the years and this is a reflection of how stronger than ever we are looking forward to taking our partnership to higher and higher levels in tackling threats that affect the people of Nigeria and the people of the United States. We have had close partnerships in shared values and focus and I want to say thank you for the wonderful partnership,” he said. In Wray’s delegation were the Bureau’s big shots which included: Charles Smith Jnr, Sydney Schaur, Joshua James Moldt, William Michael Miller, Vanessa M. Tibbits, William B. Stevens, Leigha Ramson, Sofie Admire Sosenzweig and Dr. Jim Oscar.

Assuring the FBI Director and his team of EFCC’s commitment to collaboration with the American agency, Olukoyede stated that the Commission was willing “to continue and develop ideas that would be of mutual benefit to both agencies.” And in suing for the enhancement of the collaboration and strategic partnerships, he noted that doing so was in mutual interest of Nigeria and the US, especially as criminality has become borderless. “Some of the crimes we fight are borderless crimes, so it is extremely important for law enforcement agencies across the world to come together to collaborate. Law enforcement agencies must collaborate more. Our activities must be borderless so that we will be able to challenge the activities of the bad guys,” he said.

The renewed attraction of foreign law enforcement agencies to the EFCC under Olukoyede strongly anchors on the new face of the fight against economic and financial crimes, now borne on the wings of rule of law and international best practices. The new approaches of the Commission under Olukoyede have also resonated well with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), leading to outcomes.

On September 6, 2024, the EFCC boss handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) the sum of $180,300 and 53 vehicles, being assets recovered for Canadian victims of Nigerian tribe of fraudsters. One Hundred and Sixty-four Thousand US Dollars ($164,000) of the recovered cash assets was for a victim, identified as Elena Bogomas, while $16,300 (Sixteen Thousand, Three Hundred US Dollar) belonged to a victim, known as Sandra Butler. The recovered 53 vehicles were stolen over a period of time in Canada, freighted to Nigeria and distributed to multiple locations in Nigeria by the criminal elements. Representing the Canadian authorities and the RCMP in the handover ceremony were Robert Aboumitri, First Secretary, Deputy High Commission of Canada and Nasser Salihou, Liaison Officer and Programme Manager, RCMP. Salihou expressed appreciation and averred that the success of the EFCC’s investigation in the fraud and theft indeed testified to the Commission’s diligence and professionalism. “This is a testimony of your professionalism and your commitment to combat crime. I would not conclude my statement without thanking the government of Nigeria as well. With your permission Mr. Chairman, I wish to say that all other countries will be jealous of you. This also shows that you are our key partner in West Africa in combating crimes. So thank you very much. We value this partnership and we will like to take it to the highest level possible,” he said.

Aboumitri who shared similar joy revealed that the need to confront borderless crimes was the primary motivation of the Canadian government in establishing the RCMP in Nigeria. According to him, “The RCMP decided to open an office in Nigeria in September 2021 because there was a recognition that while we are bound by jurisdictions, criminals are not and in order for us to fight crimes we need to actually go beyond jurisdiction and this is why we are here. And we have found out that in Nigeria one of our best partners is, has been and hoping it will continue to be is the EFCC. We never knocked EFCC’s door without them answering. It has been a great partnership and the culmination of the partnership is the result that we are seeing. We would like to thank you. We would like to thank the government of Nigeria and I will be amiss if I don’t thank the people we work with everyday in your team in Lagos,” he said.

Olukoyede who disclosed that his resolve to confront borderless crimes is fired by the zero-tolerance of the Nigerian government under President Tinubu further added that it was “a demonstration of the fact that President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed has given us the mandate to extend our hands of fellowship and collaboration with you to ensure that this particular problem is resolved. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP has been collaborating with us and that commitment has resulted in a lot of recoveries.”

Re-emphasizing the need for international partnership and collaborations, the EFCC boss noted that the fluxive maze of transnational crimes and the challenges they pose have made synergy and collaboration among law enforcement agencies more compelling. “It is common knowledge that financial crimes have taken a new turn all across the globe and have become a global problem. That is why it has become very necessary and imperative for us to collaborate with all our friends across the world; that is people who share the same objectives and mandate with us. Most of the countries across the world are collaborating with us in the area of fighting financial crimes. We investigate, pursue, recover, prosecute and ensure that victims of fraud are restituted,” he said.

The success story on the Canadian heist and internet fraud began with Aboumitri approaching the Commission with a complaint of “high incidence of stolen cars from Canada being shipped to Nigeria,” and subsequently provided the Commission with an excel sheet of the description of the cars and their Vehicle Identification Numbers, (VIN).

The EFCC has also been making exploits with the Spanish Police. On September 20, 2024, Olukoyede handed over €5100 (Five Thousand, One Hundred Euros) proceeds of crime to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Juan Ignacio Sell, being the sum recovered from a Nigerian romance fraudster for Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, a Spanish victim by the EFCC in collaboration with the Spanish Police. While handing over the deed of release on behalf of the Nigerian government, the EFCC boss expressed appreciation to the Spanish government for its support to Nigeria over the years, noting that the asset recovery and handover lent evidence to the cordial relationship and collaboration between both countries and their law enforcement agencies.

“On our part as a law enforcement agency, the event here today is a testament of the collaboration between Nigeria and Spain and also between the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria and those in Spain. We are resolute to ensure that Nigeria is not made a safe haven for financial criminals and corrupt people. In the interest of both countries we must do what we have to do,” he said.

A happy Sell lauded the collaboration between the EFCC and Spanish Police and pledged the commitment of the Spanish government to strengthen and take it to the next level. “What has made this special is the fact that we have seen the results of the efforts of the collaboration of two countries that are friends for the benefit of the citizens. Indeed this is a joyful moment for all of us: those who were involved in the investigation and those who supervised it and made it happen.”

Today’s international crimes, Sell said, clearly called for stronger collaboration between agencies and between countries. “I am a witness that this is happening between Nigeria and Spain and specifically between the EFCC and Spanish Police. We are more than willing and more than ready to increase that cooperation between the EFCC and its sister institutions in Spain,” he said.

In Sell’s delegation were Spanish Police Attache from the Spanish Embassy in Nigeria. the relationship between the EFCC and the FBI, so also with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Spanish Police.

Egbulefu is of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC