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 sextortion and other transnational financial crimes, while seeking stronger collaboration through enhanced intelligence and information sharing.
The commendation was made during a courtesy visit by the Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the U.S. Consulate, SSA James Smith, and SSA 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 the meeting, Smith said the visit was aimed at strengthening the long-standing partnership between the U.S. Consulate and the EFCC, particularly in intelligence gathering and information sharing to combat criminal activities involving Nigerians and foreign nationals.
He noted that closer cooperation would improve the quality and timeliness of intelligence required to tackle sextortion, cybercrime and other cross-border offences.
Pepper, who also addressed the meeting, praised the existing relationship between the FBI and the EFCC, describing it as productive and beneficial in several investigations.
“We have enjoyed a robust collaboration with the EFCC in many cases, and we are committed to improving the timeliness and efficiency of investigative information shared with the Commission,” he said.
He identified sextortion as a growing law enforcement priority in the United States and proposed the establishment of a joint operational framework to facilitate intelligence gathering and information exchange on cases reported to both agencies.
Pepper also urged the EFCC to expedite investigations into sextortion-related cases, disclosing that the FBI was working to obtain additional identifiers that would support ongoing investigations and be shared with the Commission.
Responding, Kaltungo welcomed the proposal and reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships in the fight against financial crimes.
“Our doors are always open for collaboration. We maintain similar partnerships with other countries and international organisations. However, we require your continued support, particularly with tracking tools that will enable us to identify and apprehend perpetrators more quickly,” he said.
He assured the U.S. delegation that the Commission would expedite investigations into cases referred by the FBI and continue to provide the necessary support for joint operations.
Also speaking, the Head of Investigations at the Directorate, ACE II Moses Oguzi, acknowledged the longstanding cooperation between the EFCC, the U.S. Government and the FBI.
He, however, requested a clear operational framework for the proposed collaboration and sought clarification on whether the initiative would focus solely on cyber-enabled offences or extend to other financial crimes, including the increasing incidence of visa fraud.
In response, Smith assured the Commission that the FBI would provide a structured list of priority cases and share only relevant intelligence tailored to agreed operational areas to ensure efficient collaboration without overwhelming investigators with unnecessary information.
