Update;Magu makes new move inanti-corruption fight

- Ibrahim Magu said the fight against corruption will be taken to

foreign countries



- He vowed to work towards the recovery of these funds



- The anti-graft chairman urged the ambassadors-designate to join in

the anti-corruption fight



The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared that

it will set up anti-corruption desks in Nigerian foreign missions in

order to speed-up the repatriation of looted funds kept abroad.



This was declared by Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the EFCC, on

Tuesday, April 4 in Abuja at a five-day induction programme for the 45

non-career ambassadors-designate.



Daily Post reports that the anti-graft boss

said this move would help in the fight

against corruption and the recovery of loots stashed in foreign countries.



He said: "To enhance international cooperation in the fight against

corruption, we will propose the establishment of EFCC desk, with our

operatives deployed to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies

in our foreign missions.



"They will assist in the investigation of crimes bordering on money

laundering, cyber crimes, advance fee fraud and issues relating to

asset recovery.



"We can start with the posting of officers to U.S., UK, France, Italy,

Switzerland, South Africa and Ghana in collaboration with the Federal

Ministry of Foreign Affairs."



Magu revealed that the EFCC has a strong network of law enforcement

friends with INTERPOL, Metropolitan Police in UK, FBI in the US and

this allows it to by-pass bureaucratic hindrances.



He said: "This is evident in celebrated cases we have investigated and

prosecuted abroad, especially in successfully tracing and recovering

assets of ex-governors.



"They include Joshua Dariye, DSP Alamieyeseigha and James Ibori as

well as the fraudster Emmanuel Nwude."



He urged the ambassadors-designate to join in the fight against

corruption just as President Muhammadu Buhari has always reinterred.



He noted that the economy would be affected by the actions of looters

who take the country's money to go and stash in foreign lands.



He said that "the agency had already dispatched its operatives to some

countries in that regard and challenged the ambassadors-designate to

be of great assistance to the nation's course."



"It is expected that as ambassadors and high commissioners, you will

network with other countries' embassies to assist in law enforcement

activities aimed at tracing, freezing, confiscation and repatriation

of stolen assets across jurisdictions."