| Economic and Financial Crimes Commission | |
| Common name | Economic and Financial Crimes Commission |
| Abbreviation | EFCC |
| Logo of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2003 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency (Operations jurisdiction) |
Nigeria |
| Legal jurisdiction | Financial crimes |
| Governing body | President of Nigeria |
| Constituting instrument | EFCC Establishment Act 2004 |
| General nature |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | No.5 Fomella Street, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja |
| Agency executive | Ibrahim Lamorde, Acting Chairman |
| Website | |
| http://www.efccnigeria.org | |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a Nigerian law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud (419 fraud) and money laundering.[1] The EFCC was established in 2003, partially in response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which named Nigeria as one of 23 countries non-cooperative in the international community's efforts to fight money laundering.[1] The agency has its head office in Abuja.[2]
Contents |
Under the previous EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu, the agency has addressed financial corruption by prosecuting and convicting a number of high-profile corrupt individuals, ranging from Nigeria's former chief law enforcement officer to several bank chief executives. By 2005, the EFCC arrested government officials including, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.[3]
In September 2006, the EFCC had 31 of Nigeria's 36 state governors under investigation for corruption.[4] In December 2007, the Nigerian Federal Government, after extensive investigations by EFCC and other organisations, cleared the Vaswani brothers of any wrongdoing and invited them back into the country. Leading Nigerian daily "This Day" and other major newspapers reported the facts of their clearance quoting text from FG issued directives. In April 2008, the EFCC began an investigation of the very influential daughter of the former Nigerian President, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello for receiving N10 million ($100,000), stolen from the Ministry of Health. The former Health Minister and her deputy are currently on trial for stealing over N30,000,000 ($300,000) from the ministry's unspent funds from last year.
On June 6, 2008, Chief (Mrs) Farida Mzamber Waziri was sworn in as the new chairperson of the EFCC.[1] Then on the 6th of August 2008, the former chairman Nuhu Ribadu was demoted from Assistant Inspector General (AIG) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).[5] Waziri was dismissed by President Goodluck Jonathan on 23 November 2011 and replaced by Ibrahim Lamorde as Acting Chairman.[6]
Since 2008, its website contains a list of the country's most wanted criminals.[7]
On September 14, 2010, the head of the Forensic Unit of the EFCC, Abdullahi Muazu, was assassinated in Kaduna. He had been actively involved in the trials of several heads of banks.[8]
Some advance fee fraud scammers write e-mails to earlier victims, posing as EFCC representatives, claiming they can help them get their money back, in order to scam them once more.[9]
Press