President Bola Tinubu has emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in combating cybercrime, terrorism, and related crimes.
The call was made during a meeting with FBI Director Christopher Asher Wray at the State House in Abuja.
During the meeting, President Tinubu described the significance of the FBI Director’s visit as a recognition of the robust relationship between both nations in their shared fight against global crime.
“It is an honour for me to receive Director Christopher Wray, the leader of an organization that has demonstrated consistent procedural sophistication and a reputation for excellence over several years. Your visit conveys the importance of Nigeria and Nigerian partnership in the work of America’s law enforcement institutions and vice-versa. For us, it is a recognition of what stage we are at, who we are, and the level of interest both countries share in eliminating crimes locally and globally. We cannot achieve this important feat of eliminating crimes without collaboration,” President Tinubu stated.
The President further noted Nigeria’s role as Chairman of ECOWAS, emphasizing the country’s collaborative efforts with other West African nations in fighting economic and related crimes. He also stressed the administration’s focus on education as a strategic tool against poverty, which is often linked to criminal activities.
“We are working hard to eliminate terrorism, cybercrimes, sextortion, and I am glad that we have a good number of agencies that are involved in reducing these crimes to the barest minimum, and they are also well represented at this meeting,” he added.
In response, Director Wray expressed his commitment to enhancing the “outstanding partnership” between Nigeria and the United States. He praised President Tinubu for his vision in countering regional terrorism and re-engineering the role of the Office of the National Security Adviser to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts.
“We appreciate the President’s vision in countering terrorism in the region, which is a dangerous threat, not only to the countries in the region but also to the United States. We appreciate your vision in re-engineering the role of the Office of the NSA to effectively coordinate efforts on counter-terrorism, and this has already started to bear fruits in terms of the success you are recording against ISIS in West Africa and other terrorist groups,” Wray stated.
He assured President Tinubu of the FBI’s support in various areas, including counter-terrorism, cyber-enabled crimes, kidnapping, joint investigations, and intelligence sharing.
The meeting was attended by key security chiefs, including the National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Magaji Bichi, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Major-General Emmanuel Undiandeye, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Olanipekun Olukoyede, and the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Major-General Adamu Laka.