The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has tasked the Nigeria media to prioritise the interest of the country in their reportage by exposing the corrupt.
Bawa handed the charge while speaking at a workshop organised by the EFCC on Effective Reporting of Economic and Financial Crimes, Wednesday, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“This event is one of the interventions by the commission to improve the capacity of the media to deliver on its constitutional mandate as the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
“As a worthy, dependable and reliable ally, I want to use this opportunity to further urge media practitioners to put the interest of our country at heart, particularly as it relates to a conscientious effort not to celebrate the corrupt in our midst, but to expose them.
“The war against corruption is a worthy fight for the soul of Nigeria, and for the future generation; it should not be left to the EFCC alone,” he stated.
Speaking further he said, “… Some of you will recall that at the end of 2021 the commission announced that it recorded a total of 2,220 convictions.
“I am pleased to inform you that we are poised to improve on that figure as the record of convictions as of August 5, 2022, was 2,210.”
According to him, “However, one achievement which most of you may not easily recognise is the impact which EFCC’s intervention in the FOREX market has had on the value of the Naira. From well over N710 to the Dollar, following the commission’s intervention, the Naira has appreciated significantly against the Dollar in the parallel market, and we are not relenting in our efforts to check harmful speculative activities in the sector.
“I urge you to also beam your searchlights on this area as it is in our collective interest to have a national currency whose value is not subject to the whims of crooked speculators.”
In his paper presentation titled: Challenges of Prosecuting Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution DCE Sylvanus Tahir, assured of the commission’s commitment to lead the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes.
Tahir, who was represented by ACE Samuel Okereke, stated: “…The commission encounters a lot of challenges in its prosecution of cases. However, despite the odds, it has not been overwhelmed by these systematic limitations.
“With the support of the judiciary, designated judges have been assigned in some judicial divisions to handle cases being prosecuted by the EFCC. This has brought some speed to the trial process though it can be better.”
On his part, former EFCC spokesperson, ACE I Dele Oyewale, who spoke on: Best Practices in Financial Crimes Reporting: A View From Inside, noted that economic and financial crimes across the world were evolving with disturbing dynamics.
“Criminality is outpacing technological advancement wit breath-taking sophistication. The regular and traditional economic and financial crimes like Advanced Fee Fraud, contract scam, property fraud and others are no longer committed the way we knew them. Therefore, best practices in their reporting must follow rising strides and trends.”
Oyewale, who stressed that there was room for improvement in crime and financial reporting, listed un-reported, under-reported, and un-followed crimes as posers generating concerns whether there were best practices in financial reporting.
Similarly, EFCC Head, Cybercrime Section, ACE II Buhari Nuru Dalhatu, while speaking on:
Peculiarities, Trends, Typology and Challenges of Cybercrimes Enforcement in Nigeria, noted that cybercrimes entailed using a device as weapon, target and medium of execution.
Dalhatu further noted three stages involved in combating cybercrimes as: enforcement, prevention, and enlightenment, disclosing that the media’s role was to enlighten the public by creating awareness on trends so they would be abreast.
