The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to a report entitled, “ Exclusive: Nigeria “Completely Shut Down” From Accessing Financial Intelligence from Around the World Due to Sabotage by Magu of EFCC”, published May 7 in an online portal notorious as the propaganda organ for corrupt elite in Nigeria.
The article written by an Adenike Lucas, purports that the
Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU has been shut out of the
secure server of the Egmont Group allegedly due to concern by the body
over the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu’s misuse of
intelligence generated by the NFIU.
It claims that Magu was exposing
privileged information to those who should not be allowed access, using
intel to blackmail people supposedly opposed to his confirmation and
failing to share intelligence with other law enforcement agencies, among
others.”
This report should ordinarily be ignored by the Commission because it is patently false and betrays ignorance of the workings of the Egmont Group and the NFIU by the author.
However, the Commission is
constrained to respond to prevent stakeholders especially members of the
Egmont Group who might not be aware of the situation in Nigeria, from
being misled.
First it is important to state that Nigeria has not been shut out of the Egmont Group secure server as the NFIU continues to enjoy all the privileges due to it by virtue of its relationship with the body of world financial intelligence Units.
This completely negates
the claims that Nigeria no longer has access to data that would help in
investigating money laundering and financing of terrorism cases.
It also
rubbishes the phantom allegation that staff are being pressured not to
“discuss the fact that Nigeria has been disconnected with anyone.”
Nothing was disconnected as the NFIU continues to enjoy seamless
operations.
Secondly, the fixation about Magu’s strangulating hold on the NFIU verges on the absurd. Unknown to the purveyors of this false information, the NFIU, though domiciled in the EFCC, is an autonomous body.
The EFCC Chairman does not interfere in matters concerning the
dissemination of intelligence which are transmitted to agencies based on
need and relevance.
It is important to state that the NFIU, in the last
one year, has shared intelligence with more law enforcement
organizations than any other time in its history.
Moreover, the talk
about Magu also wanting to remove the Head of NFIU, Francis Usani and
replace him with another officer identified simply as “Mo’, exists only
in the imagination of the author and “her” paymasters.
Nigerians and international stakeholders are enjoined to please disregard this publication which is nothing but a ploy to undermine the excellent work that has been done at the NFIU in recent times by forces who are feeling the heat of the war against corruption spearheaded by the EFCC under the leadership of Magu.
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