UK to Support EFCC’s Anti-Corruption Fight with Digital Forensic Technology

UK to Support EFCC’s Anti-Corruption Fight with Digital Forensic Technology

Paddy Kerr, Anti-Corruption Lead-United Kingdom National Crime Agency, Nigeria, has described the Digital Forensic Laboratory of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as a “Centre of Excellence” for every law enforcement agency in Nigeria.

According to him, the United Kingdom government had invested £500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Pounds) in the digital forensic capability of the EFCC. He added that, “the UK is in the process of building a digital forensic suite that will enable the agency to ethically and lawfully extract evidence from digital devices”.

Kerr made this known on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, during a two-day capacity building workshop, organized by the U.K. National Crime Agency, NCA, for all the Zonal Heads of EFCC at Sheraton Hotels, Abuja.

Speaking on the essence of the workshop in tackling corruption, economic and financial crimes in Nigeria, Kerr said that the training would avail the NCA the skill gaps the EFCC currently posses (if any), so that adequate training in filling those gaps would be provided in maintaining momentum of anti-corruption activities. 

“We want to look at the skill gaps that the EFCC currently posses if it does posses any, look at the training that we need to fill those gaps, that in itself will provide a catalyst with which to provide momentum of anti-corruption activities”, he said. 

In his remarks, Ben Ikani, Director of Forensics, EFCC, commended the UK government’s support for the Commission’s fight against corruption in Nigeria, describing the workshop as “significant” and one coming at the right time.

The workshop, which had in attendance, all the Zonal Heads of EFCC, would be rounded off on July 18, 2018.