EFCC, NSCDC collaborate against oil theft, illegal mining in Rivers

Adewale Akintaro

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC have resolved to collaborate to enhance the fight against illegal oil bunkering, illegal mining and other economic crimes in the Niger Delta region.

The agreement was reached on when the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Zone L Port Harcourt, ACG Ayinla Taiwo Olowo, led a delegation of his officers to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC on a courtesy visit.

While expressing NSCDC’s readiness to work with the Commission against economic sabotage and for the protection of the nation’s critical infrastructure and natural mineral resources in the region, Olowo lauded the resilience and efforts of the EFCC in the anti-corruption fight.

Olowo said, “No agency that wants to succeed in this country that will not want to identify with an organisation like EFCC. That is why I have come here.

“I want the robust synergy that has existed between us to be sustained for the betterment of this country because we all have a duty to make sure that this country is delivered from all infractions so that we will make progress,” he said.

Responding, the Acting Zonal Director of EFCC, Port Harcourt Command, Adebayo Adeniyi, stressed the need for inter-agency collaborations instead of competition.

Adeniyi thanked the NSCDC team for their desire to enhance the collaboration which both agencies of government have had over the years and promised that the EFCC would be ready to work with the NSCDC for the interest of the country.

“The most important thing about law enforcement is synergy. Working together is the beauty of the job. Instead of competing, we are supposed to be working together. With that I believe we will be achieving a lot of things together.

“You talked about illegal mining, we do a lot of investigations that relate to it and money laundering is also one of the crimes we investigate. Once you make an arrest and the matter is related to what we prosecute, you can hand it over to us for prosecution,” he said.