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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have renewed their strategic alliance to tackle cybercrime and other emerging criminal threats.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and FBI Director, Christopher Wray, met in Abuja on Friday to strengthen their partnership. Wray led a team of top FBI officials, while Olukoyede was accompanied by senior EFCC officials.
The two agencies have had a long-standing relationship, and this meeting aimed to take their partnership to the next level.
The EFCC has benefitted from the FBI’s support in capacity building and technical assistance.
Both agencies agreed to enhance collaboration and information sharing to combat borderless crimes, including cybercrime, sextortion, and public corruption.
The EFCC chairman highlighted the commission’s new direction, focusing on prevention, public enlightenment, and e-procurement to tackle contract and procurement fraud.
Olukoyede stated, “We value the partnership between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI. Over the years, this partnership has existed and it is for mutual benefits.
“We have to acknowledge that we have benefitted from your manpower and capacity development programmes, which have added value to the capacity of our operatives and our Academy.
“We also want to thank you for the technical support that you have provided over the years for the EFCC and by extension, Nigeria.
“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.
“We are willing to continue and develop ideas that would be of mutual benefit to both agencies and ensure that the issue of cybercrime will take utmost priority in our scale of preference and also ensure that sextortion that has become a major challenge to us is taken very seriously.”
Wray lauded the EFCC’s efforts in tackling cybercrime and expressed his commitment to supporting the agency in its fight against cybercriminals.
He said, “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.”
The meeting demonstrated a commitment to strengthened cooperation between the two agencies, bolstering Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts and global collaboration against cybercrime.