Nigeria and South Africa have reaffirmed their resolve to combat cybercrime, money laundering, and other economic and financial crimes.
The EFCC’s Acting-Chairman, Abdulkarim Chukkol, announced this on Wednesday in Abuja, during a visit by a senior team from South Africa’s Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), led by Lt.-Gen. CS. Mosipi.
Chukkol informed the delegation that the EFCC was honoured to receive the team and that it was an important step “towards fostering a deeper understanding and collaboration between our esteemed agencies.”
“The EFCC recognises your organisation, the DPCI, for its track record and unwavering commitment to prioritising and combating serious crimes that threaten the fabric of our societies.”
“As we gather here today, united by our common mission to protect our nations from the clutches of economic and financial crime, we recognise the critical role that knowledge exchange and cooperation play in bolstering our collective efforts.”
“The challenges we face are complex and multifaceted, necessitating a comprehensive and collaborative approach.”
According to Chukkol, the EFCC prioritises cooperation and collaboration with African law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.
“As a result, collaboration with organisations like yours will go a long way towards addressing some of our continent’s challenges.”
“Through the open and transparent sharing of intelligence, strategies, and methodologies, we can bolster our capabilities and enhance our resilience in the face of evolving criminal tactics,” he said.
Mosipi, for his part, indicated that the delegation was at the commission to explore new approaches to addressing economic and financial crime challenges, as well as other connected offences plaguing society.
The delegation’s head urged for collaboration and coordination between both agencies, as well as the implementation of Nigeria and the Republic of South Africa’s existing law enforcement Memorandum of Understanding, MoU.
“Within the DPCI, we deal with serious economic and financial crimes; we have a section for that, and we also deal with drugs; we have a section for that.”
“We are happy to be here, and we hope that when we leave here, we will have a way forward,” he said. “We know exactly what we want to do and how we want to do it, and we can get the capacity to deal with those things from this table,” he added.