The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called for support and the collaboration of Nigerians across sectors in the fight against corruption in the country.
The commission made the demand during a training session it organised for journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Thursday. The training centred on how the media can perform optimally without fear or favour.
At the one-day workshop tagged ‘Effective reporting of economic and financial crimes’, Abdulkarim Chukkol, the acting chairman of the EFCC, challenged journalists on patriotism and uprightness.
“As journalists, we owe our nation and the entire world an obligation of exposing every shadiness and criminal acts through our reporting.
“Journalism is the best gateway to whistle blowing and I charge the media to deploy more time, energy and commitment in exposing all fraudulent activities in our midst,” he said.
Represented at the event by Michaels Nzekwe, the zonal head of the agency in Kwara, the acting chairman identified illegal mining as a major threat to economic growth in Kwara State.
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He noted that activities of illegal solid mineral miners posed grave threat to the local and national economy, through non-payment of royalties, taxes and other dues.
“The commission has been active in tackling their criminalities and will continue to ensure that extant laws against illegal miners are enforced,” he added. The EFCC boss urged Nigerians not to wait until they suffer any loss on economic and financial crimes before they move against criminality.
“Economic and financial crimes remain a threat to our individual and corporate progress. It is not only by being a victim of these crimes that we suffer losses. We also suffer limitations when our neighbours, colleagues, institutions and nation fall prey to them,” he said.
Alex Ogbole Ocheme, also of the EFCC, who presented a paper titled, “New trends in cybercrime: How not to become a victim”, disclosed that cybercrime had eaten over $8 trillion of victims’ hard earned finances in the world.
He identified legal bottlenecks as one of the factors hindering cross border corruption investigation in the anti-corruption war.
According to him, not all African countries have passed the law on cybercrime, stressing that since one cannot compel those countries to try corruption offenders with such law, it means the money stolen is gone.
He further stated that “each nation is entitled to its laws. They are not necessarily there to work with you. Some countries are fast to assist you in the war against cybercrime while some are not. For instance, if the UAE is not ready to collaborate with you on a cybercrime investigation, it means the money lost is gone.”
