News
EFCC collaborate with Int’l partners in UK to track stolen funds
By Francesca Hangeior.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has teamed up with international partners in the United Kingdom to track and recover stolen funds.
The collaboration was announced at the 41st International Symposium on Economic Crime held at Jesus College, Cambridge, where EFCC officials are participating alongside global experts.
The symposium, themed “Suspect Assets,” focuses on asset tracing, recovery, forfeiture, and associated issues.
According to EFCC’s Secretary, Mohammed Hammajoda, who led the Nigerian delegation, the partnership aims to tackle threats posed by fraudsters and recover proceeds of crime.
He explained that the EFCC’s participation in the symposium highlights Nigeria’s commitment to combating economic crime and recovering stolen funds.
Dr. Umar Bello, Head of the Strategic Intelligence Analysis Unit at EFCC, identified major problems in tracking suspect wealth.
He said, “The major problems are third-party money laundering, trade-based money laundering, concealment of beneficial ownership, and excessive use of cash transactions to obscure illicit sources of funds.
“To break these jinxes, effective case management principles should be adopted to identify suspects’ wealth in the financial system.
“There is an overarching need for multilateral collaboration among agencies involved in asset tracing to strengthen their officials in dealing with the complexities of suspect assets.”
Justice John Tosho, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Nigeria, shared the country’s successes in forfeiture of assets and recovery of stolen funds, highlighting efforts to ensure fraudsters do not retain proceeds of crime.
“We are making considerable efforts to ensure that fraudsters don’t get away with the proceeds of their crime,” he assured.
Meanwhile, Prof. Barry Rider, Founder and Executive Director of Jesus College, Cambridge, emphasized the importance of addressing suspect wealth.
His words, “The symposium focuses on a raft of concerns relating to the identification, interdiction, and control of suspect wealth, whether this constitutes criminal property, unexplained wealth, or wealth possessed by those we don’t like.
“And, perhaps for the stability and security of our economies, rather more importantly, the impact—direct and indirect—of such interventions on the rest of us, and in particular our financial institutions and their advisers.”
The event brought together academics, judges, lawyers, investigators, public affairs experts, government officials, policymakers, and law enforcement officers from around the world.
Topics under discussion include identifying suspect wealth, pursuing suspect wealth in cyberspace, and unexplained wealth.
Other topics being discussed include sanctions and suspect wealth, FATF grey listing, and prosecuting high-profile individuals for corruption.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Enugu Governor Peter Mbah has expressed deep grief over the passing away of former Super Eagles skipper and coach, Christian Chukwu, describing him as a football icon, titan, and phenomenon.
Reacting to the development on Saturday Mbah said: “I received with a deep sense of loss the passing away of Chairman Christian Chukwu. It is a personal loss to us as Ndi Enugu, his home state, and indeed to Nigeria as a nation and Africa as a continent.
“Christian Chukwu was a national icon, a football titan, field marshal, and phenomenon. His exploits as a footballer united the country across ethnic divides and creed.
He was patriotism personified, serving the nation and Africa unreservedly both as a player and coach of the highly successful Rangers International Football Club of Enugu and Super Eagles of Nigeria, which he captained to victory as Green Eagles at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON. He also coached the Harambee Stars, Kenya’s senior male national team, among others.
“Chairman, as he was fondly called, gave his all not only to the nation but to the rest of Africa. He wrote his name in gold in the annals of the history of Nigerian and African football.
Our dear legend has gone the way of all mortals, but the fond memories and the pride he gave Ndi Igbo and Nigeria as a whole will be cherished forever.
“My heart goes out to his family, Ndi Enugu, the Nigerian sports community and the entire nation over this irreplaceable loss. May the good Lord grant his soul eternal repose.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
No fewer than seven people lost their lives on Saturday following the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
The deadly incident occurred along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road, a notorious route that cuts through the Sambisa Forest—an area long plagued by insurgent activities.
The victims were part of a convoy of vehicles being escorted by the military from Damboa to Maiduguri.
According to eyewitness accounts and local sources, the explosion struck as the convoy—organized to provide safe passage through the volatile region—was underway. Several other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Maiduguri for urgent treatment.
The Maiduguri-Damboa Road serves as a vital link between the state capital and several local government areas in southern Borno, including Chibok and Gwoza.
For years, the route remained closed to civilian traffic due to persistent terrorist threats. However, under the administration of Governor Babagana Zulum, the road was reopened, with military escorts deployed to accompany travelers twice weekly after clearing the area for explosives.
Saturday’s attack raises fresh concerns about the safety of the corridor, despite consistent military presence. The blast also comes just days after Governor Zulum publicly raised alarm over renewed Boko Haram activity in the state, highlighting the persistent threat the group poses to peace and development in the region.
Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the incident, while investigations and security operations in the area continue.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has initiated a search following the theft of a black Toyota Hilux vehicle belonging to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nuhu Ribadu, which was stolen during Friday’s Juma’at prayers in Abuja.
It was gathered that the vehicle was parked around 1:05pm opposite the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) complex in Area 10, while the official attended prayers at a nearby mosque.
Security source, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the incident via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, revealing that the ONSA official returned from the mosque only to find the vehicle missing.
According to him, a sources said the theft was immediately reported to the Garki Police Division at approximately 2:00 p.m., leading to a swift response by law enforcement.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command promptly activated a stop-and-search operation at various checkpoints and across all entry and exit points in the capital city.
Police authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and all efforts are being made to apprehend the culprits and recover the vehicle.
The Command said it had intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects and recover the stolen Hilux.
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