U.S. Hails EFCC’s Anti-Corruption Drive, Pledges Stronger Ties.
By Raymond Enoch
The United States Director of Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Candace Spradley, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its impressive achievements in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, January 23, 2025, Spradley said the EFCC’s reputation for integrity and effectiveness preceded her posting to Nigeria.
“I learned about the EFCC early in my career and have always been impressed by the work you do to advance anti-corruption and financial crime efforts. It’s one of the reasons I chose this assignment—because of the strong, longstanding cooperation between the EFCC and U.S. agencies,” she said.
She congratulated the Commission for its far-reaching impact, describing it as “outstanding and impressive,” and emphasized the Embassy’s interest in deepening collaboration in areas such as cybercrime, asset recovery, and transparency.
In response, Olukoyede expressed gratitude for the U.S. government’s continued support, noting a strong alignment between the mandates of the EFCC and the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
“There’s a clear relationship between narcotics and money laundering—our shared focus. Financial crimes now have global dimensions, and it’s critical we strengthen international cooperation,” Olukoyede said.
He also highlighted EFCC’s collaboration with U.S. institutions like the FBI, especially in capacity building, describing the partnership as mutually beneficial.
Raising concerns about the rising involvement of expatriates in cybercrime within Nigeria, Olukoyede cited a recent bust involving nearly 200 foreign nationals, many of whom were linked to syndicates displaced from South Asia.
“These actors are exploiting Nigeria as a new base. But Nigeria will not be a safe haven for cybercriminals. We will use intelligence-driven operations to identify and remove them,” he stated.
