The President of the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria, CIFCFIN, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki has commended the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede on his strides in turning around the works of fighting economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption in Nigeria.
He gave the commendation in Abuja on Thursday, 8 February, 2024 while on a courtesy visit to the Corporate Headquarters of the EFCC. According to him, the EFCC has started witnessing quiet transformation since the assumption of office of Olukoyede.
He promised the collaboration of his Institute with the Commission in breaking more useful grounds in its assigned mandate.
“It is a great honour and privilege to be here on this visit. I want to commend you for the success recorded so far since you assumed office. We can see quiet transformation happening in the EFCC and I’m saying this with utmost sincerity”, he said.
He gave detailed accounts of the mandate and structure of CIFCFIN and called for the formalization of the domiciliation of the Institute’s College at the EFCC’s Academy.
“We have an offer by the Commission for our College to be domiciled in the EFCC’s Academy. We will be glad if this offer is formalized”, he said.
He spoke of the plans of CIFCFIN to build five forensics laboratories comprising Digital, Document, Engineering, Medical and Ballistic and Crimes Scene laboratories and called for the support of the EFCC in the overall works of the Institute.
On the proposed Document Laboratory, Gashinbaki expressed hope that the EFCC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC will find it useful in dealing with investigation of forgery of documents by politicians seeking elective offices.
“We want to see how we can work with the EFCC and INEC to avoid forgery of documents by politicians,” he said.
Responding, Olukoyede appreciated Gashinbaki for his visit and called for a more holistic scope of the works of CIFCFIN. “ I think a wider scope that goes beyond fraud investigation to management would be good for CIFCFIN”, he said. He also explained the new policy direction of the EFCC stressing that his focus was on preventive framework in the fight against corruption. He assured that the Commission would formalize the domiciliation of CIFCFIN College in the EFCC’s Academy, maintaining that it “will add value to the Academy”.
He also assured that “We are willing to share intelligence with you and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with your institute”.
