EFCC, HALCIA sign MoU to strengthen fight against corruption

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Niger Republic counterpart, the High Authority Against Corruption and Relating Crimes (HALCIA), on Thursday, in Niamey, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), strengthening the anti- graft fight in Nigeria and Niger Republic. Speaking at the ceremony in Niamey, the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said the exigency of the time demand the strengthening of existing protocol between Nigeria and Niger Republic in the fight against corruption and terrorism financing. He noted that the MoU will help eliminate any obstacle and impediment in the exchange of information and intelligence in the fight against corruption in both countries. Particularly, as the MoU provides that, “parties will exchange information in accordance with this Memorandum of Understanding in conformity to the relevant laws of Niger and Nigeria relating to the protection of privacy and confidentiality.” Magu said that “corrupt public officials loot Nigerian treasury and stash their illicit gains abroad, thereby denying Nigerians of viable resources that could develop the nation.” He said that the preferred destinations of the treasury looters have been the United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Seychelles. He maintained that in recent years the looters are fast expanding to sister African countries. “From available intelligence and our investigations, it has been revealed that looters from Nigeria now go to Ghana, Egypt, Cameroun, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Morocco, Seychelles and so on, to stash their loots. This has led to sharp increase in the number of Nigerians buying properties in African countries,” he stated. Magu further noted that corrupt Nigerians “even go to the extent of changing their names and acquiring the destination countries’ international passports in collusion with corrupt public officers in their countries of residence in order to hide their identities and evade detection.” He reiterated that “the fight of the EFCC against looters’ safe havens is total.” He explained that his visit to Niger Republic was part of efforts to galvanise international community against looters’ safe havens. “We have already visited Ghana and Cameroun, today we are in Niger Republic and we will continue to reach out to other preferred looters’ destinations in Africa and beyond. “Interestingly, the efforts of the Nigerian Government to trace, recover and return assets stolen from Nigeria coupled with our increased advocacy to discourage safe havens have begun to yield results,” he said. He emphasised that inter- international-agency and governmental cooperation are critical in the global effort to eliminate looters safe havens. “It is my conviction that our collaborative efforts will go a long way in eliminating safe havens. In fact, this is in tandem with renewed global commitment by countries to shut their doors to stolen funds”. Responding, the President of HALCIA, Gousmane, agreed that it is ripe to call for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and Niger Republic in the fight against corruption. “We are ready and willing to partner with Nigeria. Nigeria has the experience and the human capacity,” he said, adding that “with President Muhammadu Buhari who is a renowned anti-corruption icon, we have no choice than to leverage on Nigeria for capacity building in taming the corruption monster,” Gousmane said.