The Acting Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu has called on law enforcement agencies across the country to join hands together to combat the menace of money laundering.
He gave this charge on Monday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at a workshop on “Experts’ Training And Advocacy on Tracing And Recovery of Illicit Funds And Assets”.
According to him, collaboration of law enforcement agencies in tracing the placement, layering and integration of stolen funds would help in quick recovery of such funds.
“Law enforcement agencies have huge roles to play in detecting money laundering. We need to work in tandem to achieve better and quicker results”, he said.
Magu, who was represented at the workshop by Mr. Oseni Kazeem, Head, Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, EFCC’s Port Harcourt Zonal Office, explained that money laundering was always based on predicate offences but could be tackled head-on when all hands are on deck. He charged members of the civil society, journalists, professional bodies to be steadfast and work together to save the nation the damage stolen and laundered funds are causing the masses.
The workshop, which was organised by Human Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, drew participants from all walks of life, including anti- corruption agencies and anti- money laundering experts. In his message, Suraj Olanrewaju, Chairman of HEDA Resource Centre and Civil Society Network Against Corruption, said that the workshop was convened to ” enhance expertise and share knowledge amongst institutions as well as committed citizens and professionals on tracking of international and domestic noxious funds towards stolen assets recovery”. He charged participants to be ready to hone their skills in investigative and exploratory activities aimed at tracing and recovering stolen funds.