S3xtortion Tops US Agenda, FBI Tells EFCC

 

Photo: EFCC

The United States Consulate in Lagos and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its effectiveness in investigating s3xtortion and its sustained efforts in tackling transnational financial crimes.

The US agencies also called for improved and timely intelligence sharing with the anti-graft agency to strengthen investigations into cybercrime and other offences involving both Nigerians and foreign nationals.

According to a statement issued by the EFCC, the commendation was conveyed on Monday during a courtesy visit by the Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the US Consulate, James Smith, and Thomas Pepper of the FBI Cyber Division Headquarters to the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, at the commission's office in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Speaking during an interactive session, Smith said the visit was aimed at reinforcing the existing partnership between the US Consulate and the EFCC, with particular emphasis on enhancing information sharing to combat cybercrime and other cross-border criminal activities involving Nigerians and foreign nationals.

He emphasised that closer collaboration between the agencies would strengthen intelligence gathering and information sharing, particularly in ongoing efforts to combat sextortion, cybercrime and other transnational crimes.

Speaking in the same vein, Pepper commended the existing partnership between the FBI and the EFCC, noting that both agencies had successfully collaborated on several investigations.

Pepper said the FBI had maintained a strong working relationship with the EFCC, with both agencies collaborating on several investigations.

He, however, stressed the need to improve the timeliness and efficiency of intelligence and investigative information shared with the anti-graft agency to enhance ongoing efforts against cybercrime and other transnational offences.

According to him, more targeted and effective intelligence sharing would further strengthen cooperation between the two agencies, particularly in the fight against sextortion.

Pepper noted that sextortion has become a major priority in the United States and proposed the establishment of a joint team to facilitate intelligence gathering and information sharing between the FBI and the EFCC.

The proposed arrangement, he explained, would cover s3xtortion cases reported to the EFCC as well as requests initiated by the commission to the FBI. He urged the EFCC to fast-track investigations into s3

s3xtortion cases, adding that the FBI was working to obtain additional identifiers that would be shared with the commission to support ongoing investigations.

Responding, Kaltungo thanked the US delegation for the visit and reaffirmed the EFCC's commitment to strengthening collaboration with the United States.

"Our doors are always open for collaboration. We also maintain similar partnerships with other countries and international partners," he said.

He, however, appealed for greater support from the FBI in tracking and apprehending suspects, noting that access to advanced tracking tools would significantly improve the speed and effectiveness of investigations.

"We do need your assistance and support to enable us to track and apprehend these perpetrators in good time. The availability of tracking tools will help in making our work faster. I assure you of our continued cooperation and support; we are here to assist," Kaltungo added.

The acting zonal director also assured the delegation that the commission would give priority attention to investigations arising from FBI referrals.

Also speaking, the Head of Investigations, ACE II Moses Oguzi, said the EFCC had maintained a strong working relationship with the US Government and the FBI over the years.

He, however, requested a clear operational framework for the proposed joint team, saying it would help the commission identify the specific areas of collaboration.

Oguzi also sought clarification on whether the partnership would focus solely on computer-related fraud or extend to other financial crimes, particularly in view of the growing incidence of visa fraud.

In response, Smith assured the EFCC that the US authorities would provide a list of priority cases and areas of interest.

"We have a lot of cases. Relevant information tailored to the agreed areas of interest will also be shared to avoid overwhelming the EFCC with unnecessary data," he said.