ICPC, INTERPOL Team Up To Crack Down On Corruption In Nigeria

By Miriam Humbe

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN has expressed his willingness to work closely with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to curb corruption in Nigeria.

A statement signed by Ademola Bakare, the Acting Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/Spokesperson for the Commission said Dr. Aliyu made this known on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by the INTERPOL to the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja.

The ICPC Chairman who was represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Oparaodu, noted that Interpol was an international organization that facilitated worldwide police cooperation and crime control, adding that such collaboration helped fight the common foe of corruption.

The Director of the Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), Dr. Kehinde Oginni, who led the team to the ICPC Headquarters, expressed his pleasure at the Commission’s participation in the ongoing INTERPOL workshop, and acknowledged that the workshop which was attended by various agencies presented a unique opportunity for networking and problem solving.

Dr Oginni stated that they had been in touch with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the need for capacity building for law enforcement agencies particularly those in Nigeria.

He said JICA, had graciously considered the request of INTERPOL by providing adequate funding for training capacity, which had started with 12 Nigerian Agencies invited among which is the ICPC.

Oginni said that the collaboration would give ICPC access to special anti-corruption tools like ‘I427 Communication Network’ which would help to improve searching and tracking persons of interest via available databases, adding that “INTERPOL is meant to serve the world”.

He said that the INTERPOL had multiple notices with which they tracked and flagged suspects based on their alleged infractions.

He further outlined plans to launch a pilot of a ‘Silver Notice’ to help financial agencies across the globe trace and repatriate stolen funds stashed anywhere in the world.