The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the High Authority Against Corruption and Relating Crimes (HALCIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) geared towards strengthening collaboration between Nigeria and the Republic of Niger.

HALCIA, a counterpart of the EFCC, is the Nigerien agency, established by the country’s Law No 2016-44 of December 6, 2016 and tasked with the prevention and fight against corruption and related offences in the country.

The MoU, which was signed in Niamey, capital of the Republic of Niger, followed a two-day working visit (February 6 and 7, 2019) by the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

Apart from the MoU, the visit became necessary in the light of the growing need to strengthen inter-agency ties and collaborations in the African sub-region and in the continent as a whole in the fight against corruption and terrorism financing.

During the visit, the EFCC boss met some key players and institutions in the country’s anti-corruption fight. They include Abdourmane Gousmane, President of HALCIA; Mme Aliyu Halima Mamane, Deputee, Republic Du Niger Assemblee Nationale and Chairman, Anti-corruption Committee; Liman Ali Mohamadou, 2nd Vice President, Republic Du Niger Assemblee Nationale.

Magu explained that though there existeds protocol between the two neighbouring countries in the fight against corruption and terrorism financing, there was the need to further strengthen the ties.

It was against this background that an MoU was signed by the EFCC and HALCIA to help eliminate any obstacles and impediment in the exchange of information and intelligence gathering.

Section seven of the MoU captures how the parties will exchange information, including those which are necessary to achieve the objectives of the MoU.

The section reads in part: “The parties will exchange information in accordance with this Memorandum of Understanding in conformity to the relevant laws of Niger and Nigeria relating to the protection of privacy and confidentiality.”

At the signing ceremony, Magu noted that in the course of EFCC’s fight against corruption, it discovered that “corrupt public officials loot Nigerian treasury and stash their illicit gains abroad, thereby denying Nigerians of viable resources that could develop the nation.” He stated that the preferred destinations for looters have traditionally been the United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Seychelles, but now fast expanding down home to African countries.

He said: “From available intelligence and our investigations, it has been revealed that looters from Nigeria now go to Ghana, Egypt, Cameroun, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Niger, Morocco, Seychelles and so on, to stash their loots. This has led to sharp increase in the number of Nigerians buying properties in African countries.”

Magu further noted that corrupt Nigerians “even go to the extent of changing their names and acquiring the destination countries’ international passports in collusion with corrupt public officers in their countries of residence in order to hide their identities and evade detection.”

He reiterated that “the fight of the EFCC against looters' safe havens is total.”

The EFCC boss further disclosed that his visit to Niger was part of his continuing tour at galvanizing international efforts against looters' safe havens.

He said: “We have already visited Ghana and Cameroun, today we are in Niger Republic and we will continue to reach out to other preferred looters destinations in Africa and beyond. Interestingly, the efforts of the Nigerian Government to trace, recover and return assets stolen from Nigeria coupled with our increased advocacy to discourage safe havens have began to yield results.”

Magu emphasised that international-agency and governmental cooperations are critical in the global effort to eliminate looters safe havens.

He called on the global community to urgently redouble its efforts towards strengthening the mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for proceeds of corruption and ensuring the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin. He urged his Nigerien counterpart to “tighten the noose on corrupt Nigerians” in the country and make Niger uninhabitable for looters from Nigeria.

While decorating the Nigerian Ambassador to Niger, Ambassador Haliru, and all the embassy staff with the EFCC lapel, Magu urged them to note that the anti-corruption fight was a collective one.

He said: “Whether you are at home in Nigeria or in the Diaspora, you need to make your contribution. Add your voice to the crusade against corruption. The fight is real. Don't also forget that corruption is fighting back, but together, we shall win.”

Ambassador Haliru, who received Magu in the country praised the EFCC boss for his zeal and passion for the job.

“We are hearing and seeing all your achievements in the fight against corruption. We are praying to God Almighty to give you good health and long life to confront the corrupt,” he said.

For the President of HALCIA, Gousmane, there was no better time than now for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and Niger in the fight against corruption.

“We are ready and willing to partner with Nigeria. Nigeria has the experience and the human capacity and with President Muhammadu Buhari who is a reknowned anti-corruption icon, we have no choice than to leverage on Nigeria for capacity building in taming the corruption monster,”Gousmane said.

One of the side attractions of the visit was Gousmane’s presentation of a horse as a special gift to Magu.

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