President Bola Tinubu has called for closer collaboration between Nigerian law enforcement agencies and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the fight against cybercrime, terrorism and other related crimes.
The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States of America and its primary federal law enforcement agency.
The President spoke during a meeting with FBI Director Christopher Wray at the State House in Abuja.
Tinubu meets with FBI director
Security chiefs who attended the meeting included National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the director general of the State Security Services (SSS), Yusuf Bichi; the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa; the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Emmanuel Undiandeye; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede; and the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), Adamu Laka.
President Tinubu described the presence of the FBI Director alongside his team in Nigeria as a recognition of the long-standing partnership between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against financial crimes and terrorism.
”I am honored to host Director Christopher Wray, leader of an organization that has demonstrated consistent prosecutorial sophistication and a reputation for excellence for several years. His visit conveys the importance of Nigeria and the Nigerian partnership in the work of US law enforcement institutions and vice versa. For us, it is a recognition of where we are, who we are, and the level of interest both countries share in eliminating crime locally and globally.
Tinubu meets with FBI director
”We cannot achieve this important feat of eliminating crime without collaboration. Incidentally, as President of ECOWAS, Nigeria is also collaborating with other West African countries to fight economic crimes and other related crimes,” the President said.
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President Tinubu told the FBI Director that his administration has prioritized education as a tool against poverty, which is generally believed to be a driver of criminal activities.
“We are working hard to eliminate terrorism, cybercrime and sextortion, and I am glad that we have a good number of agencies involved in reducing these crimes to a minimum and that they are also well represented at this meeting,” said the president. saying.
Noting that no country can combat financial crimes in isolation, President Tinubu called on the United States to support developing countries with the technology and knowledge transfer needed to combat complex international crimes.
In his remarks, Wray said he was in the country to enhance the “exceptional partnership” that exists between the Nigerian government and the United States government.
He commended President Tinubu for supporting the growing partnerships between various government agencies and the FBI to protect the citizens of both countries.
Tinubu meets with FBI director
”We appreciate the president’s vision in the fight against terrorism in the region, which is a dangerous threat, not only for the countries in the region but also for the United States.
“We appreciate their vision to redesign the role of the NSA Bureau to effectively coordinate counterterrorism efforts, and this has already begun to bear fruit in terms of the success they are recording against ISIS in West Africa and other terrorist groups.
”We appreciate your support and collaboration in cybercrimes and sextortion, which have unfortunately resulted in some tragic deaths in the United States.
“I want to assure you of our support, whether in matters of combating terrorism, cybercrimes, kidnappings, joint investigations and intelligence sharing. Our relationship with Nigeria is very important,” concluded the FBI director.
Ajuri Ngelale
Special advisor to the president
(Media and advertising)
June 14, 2024