INTERPOL Vice President for Africa, Garba Baba Umar, disclosed that “hundreds of thousands of dollars” are laundered out of Nigeria every hour, reaching other African countries and global locations. He made this revelation at the EFCC Academy in Abuja during the inauguration of a four-day workshop for Nigerian law enforcement agencies.
Umar highlighted the severe scale of money laundering across Africa and the world, urging enhanced collaboration among security agencies to combat this menace. He announced the launch of “Silver Notices Against Money Laundering,” an initiative aimed at making it more difficult for criminals to launder illicit funds globally, particularly in Africa.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Capacity and Coordination against Financial Crimes,” aims to reassess current strategies and reaffirm the commitment to ensuring security. Umar emphasized the importance of regular training for law enforcement to stay ahead of transnational financial crimes. EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede, represented by Francis Usani, stressed the necessity of collaboration in fighting corruption. Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, and NFIU Director-General Hafsat Bakare also underscored the importance of international cooperation and financial intelligence in tackling economic crimes.