Th e Federal Ministry of Science and Technology says it would liaise with the Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors in Nigeria to facilitate the passage of the proposed bill on forensic and investigative audit. Th e Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who disclosed this when the delegates of the Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors in Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit, said such collaboration was necessary because the passage of the bill would be a boost to the present administration’s policy of transparency and accountability in governance. Accordingly, Dr. Onu said the ministry has concluded plans to deploy relevant technologies to assist in the fi ght against fi nancial crimes in the country.
He assured that the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) an agency of the ministry has the necessary forensic science and technology capacities to assist in the war against fi nancial crimes and crime investigations.” “Nigeria must fi ght fraud so that the resources of its treasury could be best used to provide quality education for the teeming youths, provide adequate healthcare, construct good and motor able road networks and houses as well as to ensure the security of the country.” Dr. Onu promised to further support the association in the area of training and skills acquisition in relevant technologies to enhance fi nancial crime investigation, investigative skills and fraud investigation. Earlier, the President of the Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors in Nigeria, Dr. (Mr) Erape Victoria, said the association was formed to provide forensic and superior investigative skills, techniques and mechanisms in audit of fi nancial records and fraud investigation in Nigeria. She regretted that inadequacies of traditional auditing process and reporting, have facilitated huge fi nancial crimes in Nigeria. Dr. Victoria said “the association is well–placed to fi ght the future ‘cyber war’ and corporate crimes that can only be fought by an army of forensic and investigative auditors”. She fi nally appealed to the minister to assist the association in the application of science and technology in the investigation of fi nancial fraud and other related off ences.
