Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has advised Nigerians living outside the country to renounce cybercrime.
Bawa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the Commercial Email Compromise (BEC) and wire frauds committed by a few Nigerians were tarnishing the country’s image.
The EFCC boss called on Nigerians in the diaspora to also be patriots and work for the country’s interest and unity.
“Some of our brothers and sisters involved in cybercrime, it terribly tarnishes our image at home.
“They (the diasporas) should talk to each other to refrain from doing it,” he said.
The EFCC president said Nigerians in the diaspora carried the country’s flag abroad and should continue to work for the betterment of their host country and back home.
” We are doing our best ; they (the diaspora) should learn to respect their leaders, trust them, and pray for their success.
“Nigeria is changing in all ramifications; democracy cannot come easily and we are trying to improve it. ”
The EFCC boss said the commission was strengthening its partnership with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the fight against corruption.
The EFCC and the FBI have been involved in joint field operations against cybercriminals in Nigeria and the United States, which have paid large dividends.
Bawa said the FBI was the EFCC’s biggest partner and that the office had trained some of the commission’s officers in the United States.
“They helped us in a number of other areas in terms of capacity building as well as information and intelligence sharing; we have worked very well.
“In recent years, they have domesticated their officers within the EFCC to help us cooperate and engage in a timely manner with them and all of their legal attachés who have been in Nigeria.
“They have worked very well with us and this special relationship is maintained under my leadership and we will use it to fight crime.”
The FBI described the EFCC as one of its “foreign colleagues abroad” and expressed satisfaction with its “commitment to work together.”
The Bureau also commended the EFCC for offering its assistance in the investigation and prosecution of six Nigerians involved in cases of email compromise (BEC) and wire fraud in the United States (NAN).
