Abuja – President Bola Tinubu has called for stronger collaboration between Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to tackle cybercrime, terrorism, and related crimes. The President made this appeal on Friday during a high-profile meeting with FBI Director, Christopher Asher Wray, at the State House in Abuja.
In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu described the visit of the FBI Director and his team as a testament to the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States in fighting financial crimes and terrorism. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eradicating terrorism, cybercrimes, and sextortion.
“I am honoured to receive Director Christopher Wray, the leader of an organisation renowned for its procedural sophistication and excellence. Your visit underscores the significance of Nigeria and the crucial partnership we share with the U.S. in law enforcement,” President Tinubu stated.
The President expressed his satisfaction with the active involvement of various agencies in reducing these crimes and highlighted their strong representation at the meeting. He further emphasized Nigeria’s role as the Chairman of ECOWAS in collaborating with other West African nations to combat economic crimes.
Director Wray, in his remarks, reiterated his commitment to strengthening the “outstanding partnership” between the Nigerian and U.S. governments. He lauded President Tinubu for supporting the expansion of collaborations between government agencies and the FBI to protect citizens of both nations.
“We appreciate your leadership in re-engineering the Office of the NSA to better coordinate counter-terrorism efforts, which has already shown success against ISIS in West Africa and other terrorist groups,” Wray noted. He assured continued FBI support in counter-terrorism, cybercrimes, kidnapping, joint investigations, and intelligence sharing.
Present at the meeting were key security chiefs, including the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi; Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd); and Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Major-General Emmanuel Undiandeye. Also in attendance were the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, and the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major-General Adamu Laka.
President Tinubu underscored his administration’s prioritization of education as a means to combat poverty, a known catalyst for criminal activities. “We are dedicated to eliminating terrorism, cybercrimes, and sextortion. I am pleased with the number of agencies involved in this effort, and their presence here today is a testament to our collective resolve,” he said.
The President also called on the United States to assist developing countries by providing the necessary technology and expertise to combat sophisticated international crimes. “No nation can tackle financial crimes alone; we need the support and collaboration of our international partners,” he concluded.