By Palma Ileye
In continued efforts to fight crime and bring to barest minimum illegal activities in the country, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has organised a two day training workshop on ‘Anti Money Laundering, Terrorism and Proliferation Financing for NSCDC Investigators and Prosecutors’ to enhance the capacity of its investigators and prosecutors to effectively handle cases of Money Laundering, ML, Terrorism Financing, TF and also Proliferation Financing, PF.
The training programme embarked upon is aimed at equipping its investigators and prosecutors with the necessary skills, techniques and fresh ideas to effectively handle the cases which were relatively new to corps.
Delivering his key note address at the opening ceremony of the workshop organised today, at its headquarters in Abuja, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi noted that, “this would also mark a paradigm shift in our investigation activities from focusing only on predicate offences of oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, illegal mining to trailing the proceeds of these crimes.”
The capacity development workshop, Audi said was further aimed at implementing part of the Mutual Evaluation Report recommended actions which would not only ensure Nigeria’s successful exit from the ICRG/GIABA’s Enhanced follow up process but pave way for the eventual membership of Nigeria into the Financial Action Taskforce,FATAF.
This according to the CG, “is a task that must be achieved. All hands must therefore be on deck to ensure that such dream is realised.”
He stated that the “Crime of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing was an organised crime which may be nurtured by the proceeds of illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
“Therefore, this training programme is an avenue for our investigator and prosecutor to broaden the horizon of their knowledge and expand the scope of their investigation activities to include tracking down movements of proceeds of these crimes by thorough profiling of the suspects and their financial dealings.
He explained that this would assist in establishing whether funds realised from vandalism is laundered or used in financing terrorism.
The NSCDC boss thanked the Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for his exceptional leadership qualities and commitment to this national project.
He also appreciated the Director, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit and other heads of relevant agencies for the synergy in getting rid of money laundering, terrorism financing and other financial crimes in the country while urging the participants to key into the programme and be equipped with the necessary skills to effectively handle ML, TF and PF cases.
Meanwhile, according to the NSCDC Interministerial Committee on Money Laundering, Terrorism and Proliferation Financing, the Commandant General has approved the establishment of a Central Data Base for storing and sharing of intelligence on Money Laundering, ML, Terrorism, TF, and Proliferation Financing, FP, as well as setting up a committee to draft Standard Operating Procedures, SOP, for the Corps to cover investigation, prosecution, transfer and record keeping of ML, TF & PF cases.
In addition, he has approved the setting up of a full pledged Department called Financial Crimes Department with the independent mandates of handle all cases, including investigation, transfer or prosecution, of all ML, TF, PF and other sundry financial crimes which is expected to be replicated in all it’s Zones, Commands and Formations.
