U.S Mission Nigeria Reaffirms Robust Relationship with EFCC

The
United
States
Ambassador
to
Nigeria,
His
Excellency,
Richard
M.
Mills
Jr.
has
reaffirmed
that
the
robust
working
relationship
between
the
United
States
government
and
the
Economic
and
Financial
Crimes
Commission,
EFCC,
would
continue
in
order
to
achieve
significant
success
in
the
fight
against 
economic
and
financial
crimes
and
other
acts
of
corruption. 

He
stated
this in
Abuja
on
Tuesday,
March
11,
2025
when
he
led
a
delegation
of
the
US
Mission
in
Nigeria
on
a
familiarization
visit
to
the
Executive
Chairman
of
the
EFCC,
Mr.
Ola
Olukoyede
at
the
Commission’s
corporate
headquarters.

“I’m
very
grateful
for
the
relationship
we
have
both
through
our
legal
attache
and
with
these
other
offices
here.
The
US
government
was
strongly
supportive
of
the
creation
of
the
EFCC
when
it
was
established
and
our
relationship
has
continued
since
then.
I’m
here
today
to
learn
a
little
bit
about
what
the
Chairman’s
priorities
are
for
the
EFCC
moving
forward;
what
you
see
as
the
key
trends
in
financial
crimes
that
you’re
addressing
and
how
the
U.S.
government
and
U.S.
Mission
can
assist
you,
either
with
information
sharing
or
sharing
of
expertise,
closer
cooperation
in
specific
cases”,
he
said. 

Explaining
further, 
Mills
pointed
out
that,
“part
of
the
reason
we’re
so
interested
in
these
issues
is
because
they
affect
both
our
countries
and
they
affect
what
we’re
both
trying
to
do,
which
is
to
create
a
secure,
prosperous
Nigeria
and
build
our
economies,
both
the
US
and
the
Nigerians”. 

He
stated
strongly
that
the
work
of
the
EFCC
in
the
areas
of
anti-corruption,
counter-terrorism
and
money
laundering
were
of
priority
to
the
US
government
and
the
US
Mission
in
Nigeria.
“This
office
is
at
the
epicenter
of
the
work
being
done
to
counter
corruption,
financial
terrorism,
counter-terrorism,
money
laundering.
And
that
is
a
high
priority
for
the
US
Government
and
for
this
mission.
And
as
you
can
see,
it
involves
several
offices
at
the
US
Mission.
Our
economic
team
follows
these
issues
closely,
especially
anti
money
laundering,
counterterrorism,
financing,
and
has
engaged
with
members
of
your
staff
on
that
issue”,
he
said. 

Olukoyede,
who
was
delighted
with
the
visit,
took
the
delegation
on
a
brief
tour
of
the
mandate
of
the
EFCC.
“In
the
EFCC,
our
mandate
is
to
fight
economic
and
financial
crimes
not
only
to
prevent
them.
We
have
a
mandate
to
prevent,
to
investigate
and
where
one
has
occurred
to
also
prosecute
and
by
extension
we
also
recover
assets
in
the
course
of
our
work,
which
are
one
way
or
the
other
subject
to
the
directive
of
the
Federal
Executive
Council,
led
by
the
President
to
manage
them.

While
recognizing
that
Nigeria
over
the
years
has
had
a
beneficial
relationship
with
the
US
government
and
its
agencies
in
EFCC’s
efforts
to
sanitize
the
country’s
financial
space,
Olukoyede
looked
forward
to
amplified
relationship
with
the
US
government
and
the
US
Mission
in
Nigeria
for
improved
outcomes
in
the
fight
against
corruption
and
financial
crimes.

“The
relationship
between
the
United
States
of
America
and
Nigeria
in
relation
to
the
fight
against
financial
crimes
dates
way
back
and
has
been
one
of
very
strong
synergy
and
mutually
beneficial
collaboration.
Nigeria
and
America
have
been
having
mutual
cooperation
particularly
in
the
area
of
the
fight
against
financial
crimes.
And
this
we
hope
to
build
on,
to
strengthen
and
to
take
to
the
next
level”,
he
said. 

He
sued
for
enhanced
support
and
collaboration
stressing
that,
“the
support 
is
needed
especially
in
the
areas
of
technology,
intelligence
gathering
and
sharing
and
human
capital
development.
We
recognize
the
fact
that
most
of
the
work
we
do
is
intelligence-driven.
And
when
we
talk
of
intelligence,
we
are
talking
of
technology.
So
we
need
your
support
in
that
area.
And
also
need
it
in
capacity
building,
collaboration,
information
and
intelligence
sharing
which
is
very
important.
And
we
are
requesting
that
America
needs
to
reciprocate
by
attending
to
our
requests
on
time
because
we
notice
that
maybe
you
consider
your
laws
and
all
of
that.
We
will
just
wish
you
could
fast
track
your
response
to
some
of
our
requests.
We
would
really
appreciate
it
if
you
can
improve
on
that
during
your
tenure,”
he
said.

Speaking
further,
the
EFCC
boss
disclosed
some
of
his
recent
efforts
at
curbing
visa
fraud
that
pose
an
endless
challenge
to
foreign
missions
in
the
country.
“Just
last
year, 
I
established
the
Visa
Application
and
Immigration
Fraud
Section
in
EFCC
and
we
have
its
desks
all
across
our
zonal
offices
to
deal
with
issues
that
have
to
do
with
visa
racketeering
and
immigration
fraud.
It
is
a
dedicated
desk
that
works
48
hours.
And
we’ll
be
having
good
results.
So
we
also
need
your
support
in
that
area
in
the
exchange
of
information
and
intelligence
with
us
and
in
technology
and
gadgets
you
can
support
us
with.
The
Nigeria
government
is
willing
to
collaborate
more
with
the
government
of
the
United
States
to
work
more
for
the
mutual
interests
of
both
countries”,
he
said

---

 Dele
Oyewale

Head,
Media
&
Publicity

March
11,
2025

Credit: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)