The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the presidential
ad-hoc committee set up to reposition and restore the nation’s
membership of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Unit has called out EFCC over the frustration of its efforts.
The committee accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) of blackmailing the Attorney-General of the Federation and the
Ministry of Justice with allegations of impeding the government’s
anti-corruption drive.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Attorney General of the Federation, Salihu Othman Isah,
'there are several other documents detailing the commitment of the AGF
and the Federal Ministry of Justice to ensure that Nigeria is fully
ratified as a bona fide member of the Egmont Group and other
international anti-graft bodies in line with President Muhammadu Buhari
administration’s effort to combat all corruption and other forms of
crimes. However, it is a sad tale to tell how the Acting Chairman,
Ibrahim Magu-led EFCC has frustrated these efforts and even had to
resort to blackmail in some instances oftentimes, alleging that the AGF
and the Ministry were all out to impede the government’s anti-corruption
drive'.
“Magu and other EFCC officials, and a times through online
publications, had at one time or the other accused the Minister of
trying to compromise the war. They have always perceived the Office of
AGF as a threat instead of addressing the issues related to the best
strategy to fight corruption advocated by the AGF'.
The committee was set up by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,
following the recent sanction on Nigeria by the global body for
allegedly flouting its rules and regulations saying, 'the suspension of
Nigeria from the Egmont Group of National Financial Intelligence Units
at its July 2017 meeting in China with a threat of an expulsion in
January 2018, if Nigeria did not meet the standards of the Group with
regards to its operations, has dire consequences for Nigeria on many
fronts.”
The committee is also expected to submit its report by August 31.
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