EFCC, Interpol join forces against cybercrime in Nigeria

By Lovina Anthony, Akwa-ibom

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said it has joined forces with the International Criminal Police Organisation, Interpol, to tackle the menace.

In a statement by the EFCC Media Head and Publicity Dele Oyewale on Wednesday, the collaboration was brokered when a delegation from Interpol paid a courtesy visit on EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede at the corporate headquarters of the Commission.

Olukoyede receiving the delegation described cybercrime as organized threat and onslaught to the development of nations and called on heads of the world to give access to information to stem the tide.

He explained that the commission has secured over 500 convictions in cybercrime few months ago adding that the commission has collaborated with FBI, NCA and other prominent law enforcement agencies in the world in the area of combating cybercrime.

He said, “As a matter of fact, a consultant was saying that cybercrime has assumed the third largest GDP in the world. It is a sort of crime that we should not take lightly and comes from the readiness from these countries and law enforcement agencies to collaborate, to share information in such a way that each country will take responsibility for what they are supposed to take responsibility for.

“In the last few months, we have secured over five hundred convictions in cybercrimes and over the years we have had cause to collaborate with FBI, NCA and other prominent law enforcement agencies in the world in the area of combating cybercrime. We are much ready to do more and also to encourage the heads of the world to give access to information.”

Earlier in his presentation, leader of the delegation, Mr. Craig Jones. explained that Interpol was working as a neutral law enforcement agency with private partners across the world to detect and break criminal networks serving fraudsters.

He disclosed that cybercrimes have become global security threats with massive impact. ” I think many countries now recognise that cybercrime is actually a national security threat to countries and this goes hand in hand with financial crimes, because the main motivation of cybercrime normally for the criminals is that financial gain and the impact that it makes on the countries and our communities is massive”, he said.

To this end, Jones explained that Interpol continued to identify countries with criminal networks in order to assist them to break such networks.

He also disclosed that a CyberCrimes Convention is being negotiated with the United Nations Organisation, UNO, to draw global attention and commitment to the fight against the menace.