Cybercrime Tarnishing Nigeria’s Image, Says EFCC Boss

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, has advised Nigerians living outside the country to desist from cybercrime.

Bawa, while addressing newsmen in New York, said, Business Email Compromise (BEC) and wire frauds committed by few Nigerians were tarnishing the image of the country.

The EFCC boss appealed to Nigerians in the diaspora to also be patriotic and work for the interest and unity of the country.

“Some of our brothers and sisters involved in cybercrimes, it is terribly tarnishing our image back home.

“They (diasporas) should talk to one another to desist from doing that,’’ he said.

The EFCC chairman said Nigerians in the diaspora were carrying the country’s flag overseas and should continue to work for the betterment of their host country and back home.

“We are doing our best; they (diaspora) should learn to respect their leaders, have trust in leadership and pray for them to succeed.

“Nigeria is changing in all ramifications; democracy can’t come easily and we are trying to improve on it.’’

The EFCC boss said the commission was strengthening its partnership with the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on combating corruption.

The EFCC and FBI have been involved in joint field operations against cybercriminals in Nigeria and in the U.S., which have yielded significant dividends.

Bawa said the FBI has been the biggest EFCC partner and the bureau had trained some of the commission’s officers in the U.S.

“They have assisted us in several other areas in capacity building as well as sharing of information and intelligence; we have been working tremendously well.

“In recent years, they have their officers domesticated within the EFCC to help us cooperate and engage in a timely manner with them and all their legal attachés that have been in Nigeria.

“They have worked excellently well with us and that special relationship is sustained under my leadership and we are going to leverage on that to combat crime.’’

The FBI has described the EFCC as one of its foreign colleagues abroad and expressed appreciation for its commitment to working together.