Pipeline vandalism: NSCDC to investigate financial dealings of suspects
Commandant General (CG), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi has tasked Officers of the Corps to investigate the financial dealings of suspected pipeline vandals.
Audi said this on Wednesday during the opening ceremony of a 2-day training on Anti-Money Laundering (AL), Terrorism Financing (TF) and Proliferation of Arms Financing (PF) at NSCDC Headquarters in Abuja.
He said that the training was to enhance the capacity of the Corps’ investigators and prosecutors to effectively handle cases on AL, TF and PF.
He added that the training would mark a paradigm shift in the Corps’ investigation activities from focusing only on predicate offences of oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, illegal mining to trailing the proceeds of stated crimes.
“The Crime of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing is an organised crime which may be nurtured by the proceeds of illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism,” he said.
According to him, “This is an avenue for our investigators and prosecutors to broaden the horizon of their knowledge and expand the scope of their investigations to include tracking down movements of proceeds of these crimes by thorough profiling of the suspects.
“This will also assist in establishing whether funds realised from vandalism is laundered or used in financing terrorism.”
The CG encouraged the participants to pay attention to the training as the corps was ready to champion the course of giving Nigeria a good global rating.
He appreciated sister agencies for their renewed support as he reiterated the need for synergy, adding that “everyone is working towards achieving the same goal.”
Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) Director, Mr Modibbo Tukur, said that at the end of the training, participants should be able to identify a suspect before further interrogations.
“When you come in contact with suspects, without asking questions you should be able to detect a suspect.
“You have to understand the stakeholders in any case you are handling by checking if there is money laundering, terrorism, proliferation of arms amongst other related crimes,” he said.
Tukur advised NSCDC investigators to understand and be able to identify when a case should be redirected to an appropriate authority.
“You have to understand when a case is not yours to avoid clashes amongst agencies,” he said.
NSCDC Anti-Corruption Transparency Unit (ACTU) Head, Mrs Remilekun Ekundayo, said that Audi had approved the establishment of a Central Data Base for the storage and sharing of intelligence reports on money laundering, terrorism and Proliferation Financing.
The ACTU Head said that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Corps now covers the investigation, transfer and record keeping of such earlier mentioned cases.
She said that the training would equip trainees with necessary skills, techniques and fresh ideas to effectively handle cases.
She acknowledged the synergy and support from NFIU who assist in enhancing the Corps’ investigation activities.
Ekundayo hoped that the collaborative efforts between the Corp and sister agencies would be further strengthened.
“(We will continue) the synergy with the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of States Security in the area of intelligence sharing, parallel investigation and transfer of cases.
