Abdullahi Shehu

Abdullahi Shehu was the Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa between 2006 and 2014.^[1]

Early life

Born in Plateau State of Nigeria, Abdullahi Shehu was educated at the Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Abuja Nigeria for his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees in International Relations. He obtained a PhD in Criminology from the University of Hong Kong specialising in anti-corruption and money laundering. Shehu is a member of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI); member of the Hong Kong Society of Criminology; and member of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs.

Career

Shehu was appointed Secretary of the Presidential Task Force on Financial Crimes in Nigeria in 1991; Assistant Director, Financial Crimes; Deputy Director/Head of Department of Financial Crimes in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Drugs and Financial Crimes; Special Assistant to the Special Adviser to the Head of State on Economic Affairs, Drugs and Financial Crimes.

In these capacities, Dr Shehu represented Nigeria at many bilateral and multilateral meetings and negotiations on Drugs and Financial Crimes Control, including the UN Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of the Transnational Organized Crime Convention. He led the Nigerian delegation to the UNODC/GPML regional Workshop in Grand Bassam, Cote d Ívoire, which initiated the establishment of an Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). He has worked as expert/consultant on money laundering control for the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), and has provided training to money laundering compliance and law enforcement officers in the English Speaking West African countries. He also worked as consultant to the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) on a number of projects/program including contributing as a co-lead person at the International Expert Group Meeting (IEGM) on Anti-Corruption, which produced a Report containing concrete initiatives, projects and plans of action submitted to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for on ward submission to the international development assistance community; as well as facilitating a 2 week IDLO training program for senior judicial, prosecutors and law enforcement officials from Georgia and Nigeria on anti-corruption in 2005.

Dr. Shehu has demonstrated expertise in the area of anti-corruption and money laundering control during his tenure as Program Expert (Anti-Corruption) at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) from 2003 to 2005. Under the UN Global Program against Corruption, his main tasks included capacity building for anti-corruption policies and mechanisms, promoting integrity in public and private sectors, governance/public sector reform and money laundering, including asset recovery.

Upon return to Nigeria and before his assumption of duty in GIABA, he was the Director, EFCC Training and Research Institute, Abuja, Nigeria. Dr. Shehu has written and published extensively on anti-corruption, governance and money laundering. His popular book entitled “Economic and Financial Crimes in Nigeria: Policy Issues and Options” was presented to the public in Nigeria on 30 May 2006. His latest book "Strategies and Techniques of Prosecuting Economic and Financial Crimes" was presented to the public on June 5, 2012.

GIABA

In May 2006, Dr. Shehu was appointed Administrative Secretary and later as Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). GIABA is a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), as well as a Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-Style Regional Body (FSRB). As Chief Executive of this regional organization, his main tasks and accomplishments include: • Establishment of a functional Secretariat for the organization in line with the FATF acceptable standards of a FSRB Secretariat • Developed, reviewed and updated Regional Strategic Frameworks and Action Plans for the implementation of GIABA programs, as well as annual work plans. In 2010, a new Strategic Plan was adopted for 2011-2014. All of these were done consistent with the FATF Recommendations and the ECOWAS Regional Integration Framework, especially its Vision 2020. • Within the framework of the Strategic Plans, he led the regional fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, by inter alia: (1) providing direct support to member States of ECOWAS to enact, review and amend legislation against money laundering; (2) conducting the mutual evaluations of members to ascertain their level of compliance with acceptable anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) standards; (3) conducting numerous research and typologies studies on the methods, trends and techniques of money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF); (4) providing direct assistance for the establishment of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), which led to the establishment of thirteen FIUs in the region, some of which are members of the Egmont Group of the global network of FIUs;(5) promoting strategic partnerships with the civil society for the prevention and control of ML/TF; (6) promoting regional and international cooperation in the context of ECOWAS to deepen regional integration, and in the context of the African Union to promote continental efforts against ML/TF, promote good governance and support overall development; and in the context of the UN to promote global action against ML/TF within the framework of the relevant UN Conventions and Resolutions; and in the context of multilateralism – collaborate with the IFIs (World Bank/IMF), and other multilateral bodies. • Established GIABA firmly as one of the most effective and efficient ECOWAS Institutions with sound management and governance structures, processes and procedures. • Promoted GIABA to be recognized as a FSRB in 2006 and as an Associate Member of the FATF in 2010. • Creating and sustaining productive partnerships with stakeholdersleading to the in flow of resources to counter ML/TF in the region.

Philanthropy

Dr. Shehu started the Yibaikwal Foundation, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that; promotes equal opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, political affiliation, gender, or ethnicity. The vision of the Foundation is "to see an egalitarian society that is eventually free from ignorance by strengthening educational and democratic institutions and processes; and providing funding - assistance to deserving but needy students," while its stated mission is "promotion of good governance and empowering indigent students to acquire higher education; and providing evidence-based advisory services to government on education and democratic institutionalization."

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