- The EFCC has set up a committee to re-position the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit
- The committee will be chaired by Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, a former director general of the Inter-Governmental Action Against Money Laundering in West Africa
- The inauguration came on the heels of the recent suspension of the NFIU from membership of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units
Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has inaugurated a committee to re-position the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)Non July 19 2017.
Members of of the committee were drawn from law enforcement, financial and regulatory agencies and will be chaired by Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, a former director general of the Inter-Governmental Action Against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA.
Other members of the committee are Mr. Chidi Chukwuka from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC); Mr. Bamanga Bello, Head of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML); Hajia Jamila Yusuf of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Mr. Udofia Akpan Obot, a former deputy director (CBN), while Mrs Joke Liman of the EFCC is to serve as secretary.
The inauguration came on the heels of the recent suspension of the NFIU from membership of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.
Speaking at the inauguration, Magu charged the committee to take a holistic look at the mandate and operations of the NFIU with a view to coming up with proposals to reposition the agency for greater efficiency.
The committee will be chaired by Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, a former director general of the Inter-Governmental Action Against Money Laundering in West Africa. Photo credit: EFCC
Magu also reminded members of the committe that membership of the Egmont Group was critical to Nigeria's effort to tackle money laundering, and monitoring of financial flows within and outside the country.
He charged the Committee to among others, address the concern of the Egmont Group, by providing the necessary frameworks needed: "to coordinate the effective process of amendment of section 1(2)(c) of the EFCC Act to expressly reflect NFIU as an autonomous unit under EFCC so as to provide legal basis or clarity on its operational independence from the EFCC.
"Make recommendations with respect to the funding of the NFIU's operations.
“Develop career path for the staff of the NFIU.
“Develop protocol for the protection of information and confidentiality, specifically as regards the status of STR information and information deriving from international exchange.
“Develop procedure for the processing of information held by the NFIU either deriving from STR or from international exchange for legitimate purposes”.
Responding on behalf of the members of the Committee, Dr Shehu expressed delight at the opportunity given to them to serve the country.
"We see this as a call to service and we assure you that we will ensure that we carry out this task judiciously in order to reposition the NFIU, and ensure that it is autonomous as this will further strengthen the anti-corruption fight," he said.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that the Nigerian Senate said it would pass a new law that will separate Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) from the Economic and Financial commission (EFCC) and make it independent.
The Senate made this known on Wednesday based their decision on the reported suspension of the NFIU from the Egmont Group.
Watch this NAIJ.com video of the EFCC staging a walk against corruption: