By Nkechi Eze
As part of tackling the menace of Terrorism financing which poses a significant threat to security, the Department of State Services, DSS has called for stronger collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, regarding intelligence sharing, especially in the area of terrorism financing in Enugu State.
This call was made recently in Enugu when Mr. Humphrey Ohikhuare, Enugu State Director, DSS paid a courtesy visit to the Zonal Director, Enugu Zonal Directorate of EFCC, Commander of the EFCC, CE Mohammed Shuaib Bello.
Speaking during the visit, Ohikhuare recognized the critical roles the EFCC plays in sustaining the economy of the nation by doggedly combating corruption, economic and financial crimes, adding that the efforts of the Commission have helped the nation in utilizing its resources for its citizens.
He said, “I as the Director here, recognize your critical roles in combating financial and economic crimes in the country, as it has helped to sustain our economy. Also, I commend you for your efforts in the investigation and prosecution of cases of fraudulent individuals as it has helped us to actually re-strategize and ensure that the country’s resources are utilized for the people”.
Continuing, Ohikhuare sought for synergy in intelligence sharing in order to put a stop to terrorism financing in the state, adding that with the collaboration of the EFCC and the DSS in tracking the sources of these funds, terrorists’ activities will be a thing of the past in the state.
“I came to collaborate with you in terms of intelligence gathering. One of our reasons of being here in the State is to fight terrorism and you know that terrorists cannot operate without funding and some of these funds pass through the banks. My coming here is for us to share intelligence so that together, we can cut off their source of funding and if we are able to do so, we will be able to check the criminalities, especially terrorism in Enugu State”, he said.
Responding, Bello appreciated the visit and noted that, as one of the Board Members of the Commission, the DSS has been a critical stakeholder to the EFCC and the two agencies have maintained a robust relationship in terms of supporting each another to achieve their mandates, adding that the Enugu Zonal Directorate will continue to support the DSS in the State.
“The core mandate of the EFCC is to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes. As you mentioned terrorism, there cannot be terrorism without financing so it’s good you are here to collaborate with us and will give you our maximum support. Let us share intelligence because without it, both the EFCC and the DSS cannot achieve our mandates. DSS is one of our board members going by our Establishment Act so we have always collaborated with DSS”, he said.
In a related development, the Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Enugu State, Commandant Elijah Etim Willie, has called for a renewed synergy between the NSCDC and the Commission, especially in the area of tackling economic sabotage, stressing that for the two agencies to succeed in the state, they must collaborate.
Willie made the appeal when he visited Bello in his office. According to the Commandant, “there is no better way we can do the work than to collaborate”. He said, “I am appealing for synergy, we have an anti-fraud Unit. There are certain cases that will come and we will send it to you and if there is any case that has to do with anti-vandalism, please push it over to us. We are here to serve and we can collaborate. There are so many things we can do together as children from same father. So, I am here to ask for your support and that whenever you see my call, you will know that I have come. I am like Oliver Twist, I always like to ask for more”.
Responding, the Zonal Director, said that the Commission has always had hitch- free collaboration with the NSCDC as it has demonstrated over the years to be an important stakeholder in the fight against corruption, adding that the Directorate will continue to support the agency in achieving its mandates.
“EFCC has been working with NSCDC right from inception. I can remember, in 2005, we prosecuted so many cases of pipeline vandalization and 90 percent of your cases were transferred from NSCDC to the EFCC and we prosecuted many of them at the Kaduna Federal High Court. So, the collaboration has been there and I assure you that we will give you maximum cooperation so that both of us can achieve our mandates”, he said.
