The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC have agreed to enhance their collaboration in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, illegal mining and other economic crimes in the Niger Delta region.
The agreement was reached on Thursday, May 30, 2024 when the Zonal Commander, NSCDC Zone L, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Assistant Commandant General, Ayinla Taiwo Olowo, led a delegation of his officers to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC on a courtesy visit.
While expressing NSCDC’s readiness to work with the Commission against economic sabotage and for the protection of the nation’s critical infrastructure and natural mineral resources in the region, Olowo appreciated the resilience and efforts of the EFCC in the anti-corruption fight, adding that “No agency that wants to succeed in this country that will not want to identify with an organisation like EFCC. That is why I have come here. I want the robust synergy that has existed between us to be sustained for the betterment of this country because we all have a duty to make sure that this country is delivered from all infractions so that we will make progress,” he said.
In his response, the Acting Zonal Director of EFCC, Port Harcourt Command, ACE 1, Adebayo Adeniyi expressed delight over the visit. He thanked the NSCDC team for its desire to enhance the collaboration both agencies of government have had over the years and promised that the EFCC would be ready to work with the NSCDC for the interest of the country.
“The most important thing about law enforcement is synergy. Working together is the beauty of the job. Instead of competing, we are supposed to be working together. With that I believe we will be achieving a lot of things together. You talked about illegal mining, we do a lot of investigations that relate to it and money laundering is also one of the crimes we investigate. Once you make an arrest and the matter is related to what we prosecute, you can hand it over to us for prosecution,” he said.