Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), has pledged to collaborate with INTERPOL to intensify efforts in combating corruption in Nigeria, leveraging the global law enforcement agency’s expertise and resources to enhance the country’s anti-corruption initiatives.
Dr. Aliyu made this known Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the INTERPOL to the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja.
The ICPC Chairman who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu, noted that Interpol is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control, adding that such collaboration helps fight the common foe of corruption.
Speaking earlier, the Director of the Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), Dr. Kehinde Oginni, who led the team to the ICPC Headquarters, expressed his pleasure at the Commission’s participation in the ongoing INTERPOL workshop, acknowledging that the workshop which was attended by various agencies presented a unique opportunity for networking and problem solving.
Dr Oginni stated that they had been in touch with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the need for capacity building for law enforcement agencies particularly those in Nigeria.
JICA, he said, had graciously considered the request of INTERPOL by providing adequate funding for training capacity, which has started with 12 Nigerian Agencies invited among which is the ICPC.
Oginni added that the collaboration would give ICPC access to special anti-corruption tools like ‘I427 Communication Network’ which would help ICPC to improve searching and tracking persons of interest via available databases, adding that “Interpol is meant to serve the world”
He said that the INTERPOL had multiple notices with which they tracked and flagged suspects based on their alleged infractions. He further outlined plans to launch a pilot of a ‘Silver Notice’ to help financial agencies across the globe trace and repatriate stolen funds stashed anywhere in the world.
