Forensic institute urges govt to sharpen financial crimes enforcement

The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Examiners of Nigeria (CIFCFEN) has called on the federal government and the National Assembly to amend the 1999 constitution to remove constraints standing against the enforcement of economic and financial crimes in the country.

These were among the institute’s recommendations when it presented a Country Report that reviewed the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) in Abuja.

The strategy document was designed by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC) as a response to combating corruption in 2017 in line with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) member state parties’ obligation.

The Report assessed the implementation of NACS goals for the period 2017-2021.

While harping on the rationale for the recommendation, CIFCFEN Second Deputy President and chairman of the research team, Prof. Suleiman Aruwa, said the report identified insignificant conviction rates of prosecuted cases by EFCC and ICPC before the courts, which stood at 2 per cent and 1 per cent respectively in the period under review.

He also advocated for special courts, which he said will reverse the trend.

Speaking earlier on the objectives of the Report, CIFCFEN’s President/ Chairman of Council, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, said it will specifically assess the performance of the anti-corruption agencies on the five concurrent pillars of the National Anti-corruption strategy and provide the government as well as public with a fair and objective assessment of the anti-corruption effort in Nigeria.