By Dele Ogbodo
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has expressed the readiness of the Commission to work closely with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in order to tackle the scourge of money laundering more fiercely.
He gave this indication in Abuja when the Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Bello, led the management team of the agency on a courtesy visit to EFCC Chairman at the corporate headquarters of the Commission in Abuja.
The EFCC’s boss explained that there was a strong linkage between human trafficking and money laundering and that all efforts should be made to confront and conquer the two crimes together.
“There’s a very strong nexus between human trafficking and money laundering. Wherever human trafficking takes place, there will definitely be money laundering, so that makes it necessary for us to work together,” he said.
While assuring NAPTIP of EFCC’s support, he pledged the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that the relationship is further strengthened for optimal outcomes, noting that NAPTIP plays critical roles in Nigeria’s economic development and good international image.
“Even though there’s an existing relationship, the essence of enhanced collaboration is to strengthen it and take it to a higher level. So, we will always be willing to collaborate with you, especially in areas like joint investigation, public awareness, resource mobilization, and manpower development as you have requested. The mandate of your agency is critical to our economic development and in giving a good international reputation to our country. So we will always be willing to support and to collaborate with you,” he said.
Earlier in her remark, Bello pointed out that “the key points for this visit today are to seek collaboration on joint investigation, cybercrime and online trafficking investigation because this kind of crime involves a lot of finances, intelligence sharing, and capacity building, public awareness, and resource mobilization.
I need all the support that will make us succeed in this fight so as to curtail the menace of human trafficking and violence against persons to the barest minimum,” she said.
She noted that NAPTIP has been working closely with the EFCC since inception, adding that “because of that, we think it is very important to come and present ourselves again before the Executive Chairman, particularly regarding the fight against human trafficking.”
She recalled that the landmark conviction her agency got in 2022, involving a transnational human trafficking syndicate operating between Nigeria and European countries was achieved through a robust collaboration with the EFCC, adding that: “Previous joint efforts also yielded notable results, such as the 2021 rescue operation that liberated 500 human trafficking victims from Libya, Europe, and the Middle East, and the 2020 partnership that resulted in the arrest of several traffickers and the recovery of over N100 million illicit funds.”