The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, has called for effective collaborative efforts among West African states to prevent financial crimes in the sub-region.
This was contained in an electronic mail of Monday signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren.
He stated that such a collaborative action against corruption was required to respond effectively to the antics of some people who had taken corruption across borders.
The EFCC boss said that the culprits of economic crimes had no problems enlisting the services of their collaborators in other countries.
As stated by Lamorde, those involved in economic crimes had become so sophisticated that they could easily manoeuvre national institutions to the detriment of the existence of the sub-region.
Lamorde was quoted as having made the comment while delivering a paper titled, “West African Law Enforcement Agencies Must Cooperate to Win War on Corruption,” at the opening ceremony of the maiden training programme of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa, at the EFCC Academy, Abuja, on Monday
He said, “We must bear in mind that the criminals that we are after, have no problems whatsoever, forging such cross-jurisdictional operational alliances in order to perpetrate crimes.
“Crimes in each of our nations today have not only grown in proportion, but in sophistication and criminals now have reaches across national institutions and borders and can even threaten the very existence of some states.”
Lamorde commended the creation of NACIWA, a coalition of anti-corruption agencies across West Africa, stressing that the body came at the right time.
The statement also quoted President Muhammadu Buhari as having restated his resolve to strengthen the anti-graft agencies to prosecute the ongoing campaign against corruption to a logical end.
Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, said that the agencies had a mandate to prosecute the campaign against corruption.
He stated that while corruption was already fighting back in the country, he was optimistic of victory as there was the will to win the war against those stealing public funds.
“We shall strengthen agencies in the country involved in the corruption war and save us from the scourge of corruption.
“The time to act against corruption is now, and we do not have to wait till when all the resources are in place. It is now.
“They’ll fight back, indeed, they are already fighting back, but what they don’t know is that there is the will to ensure victory is achieved, because we have to reclaim our stolen wealth,” he stated.