Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has called on critical stakeholders in the Nigerian financial landscape, to rally round the anti-graft agency in curbing illicit financial flows in the business sector.
“Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, ML/FT are financial crimes with significant negative economic and security impacts, and no nation can prosper where money laundering and terrorist financing is endemic,” he said.
Magu gave the charge on November 28, 2018 at the opening of a two-day workshop, held at the Dennis Hotel, Abuja, aimed at sensitizing self-regulatory bodies and trade associations in the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, DNFBPs.
Represented by Bamanga Bello, Director, Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, Magu noted that the workshop tagged, “Effective Implementation of AML/ CFT Measures in the DNFBPs Sector in Nigeria”, was essential in creating awareness on the adverse effect of illicit financial flows on the Nigerian economy, and to build capacity for the DNFBPs in Nigeria.
He said: “We are constantly faced with the devastating effects of money laundering and terrorism globally and sadly, this includes Nigeria.
“It has been established that Nigeria is one of the most terrorized countries in the world. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) released in November, 2017 ranked Nigeria as the third most terrorized country in the world which also suggests high level of terrorist financing activities in Nigeria as planning and execution of any act of terrorism requires funding.
“There is a need to change the narrative on the anti-corruption fight following the 2018 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) which was released by Transparency International (TI) and ranked Nigeria 148 out of 180 assessed countries, more work need to be done.”
“We are living witnesses to the despicable state of basic infrastructure in Nigeria, owing largely to the pilfering away of public assets, which has affected our collective economic wellbeing as well as security of lives and property in Nigeria.”
He, therefore, used the medium to call on all Nigerians to be proactive, and join hands with the anti-graft agency, in order to ensure a paradigm shift and kick corruption out from Nigeria.
In his remarks, Emmanuel Uche, Program Manager, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, RoLAC, said “the objective of the workshop was to sensitize the target audience on the reporting and compliance obligations under the Nigerian AML/ CFT laws and regulations and to enhance awareness on how such organizations could be used by money launderers and terrorist financiers to perpetrate their unscrupulous activities”.
He commended the EFCC for its efforts in combating illicit financial flows, noting that, “the EFCC is not one of the organizations in Nigeria that anyone can say is sleeping, the work done by EFCC through the SCUML and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU is very significant via the preventive measures such as this workshop”.
Francis Usani, Director, NFIU, represented by Mustapha Abdulrahman, Head Monitoring and Analysis, NFIU, said: “Fighting corruption is fighting a global battle and the true victims of corruption may never know how much they have been short changed so while looking at the global picture we need to do our little part individually to curb this menace.”
The workshop was organized by SCUML, in partnership with the British Council, under RoLAC, and is in preparation for the forthcoming of Financial Action Task Force, FAFT/ Inter-Government Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA mutual evaluation of the Nigerian Anti Money Laundering/Counter Financing Terrorism, AML/CFT regime coming up in September/ October 2019.
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Participants of the forum included Self-Regulatory Bodies (SRBs): Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, CITN, The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria Nigeria, APBN, Housing Developers Cooperative Society, HDSC, Estate Surveyors and Registration Board of Nigeria, ESVARBON, Nigeria Network of NGOs, NNNGOs.
Also, in attendance were Trade Associations in the DNBPs sector including; Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, REDAN, Motor Dealers Association of Nigeria, MDAN, Nigeria Hotel Association, NHA, Importers Association of Nigeria, IMAN, Association of Casino Operators of Nigeria, ACON, National Association of Supermarkets Operators of Nigeria, NASON, Jewellery Marketers Association of Nigeria, JMAN, Hotel Owners Forum Abuja, HOFA, Miners Association of Nigeria, MAN.
Representatives of Government Regularly Authorities including National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRCN and Ministry Budget and National Planning, MBNP were also present at the forum.
Papers evaluated during the workshop included the overview of the relevant international standards on AML/CFT as it relates to DNFBPs, the role and functions of SCUML in the implementation of AML/CFT measures in the DNFBPS sector in Nigeria and an overview of the Nigerian AML/CFT regime and compliance obligations of DNFBPs.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
