The United Kingdom(UK) High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, has said her country is ready to return ill-gotten wealth to Nigeria. Laing disclosed this during a visit to the Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.

According to her, the UK will also strengthen the existing cooperation and partnership with the EFCC.

A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said:

The UK and the EFCC have restated their resolve to further strengthen the existing cooperation and partnership between them in the fight against economic crimes and corruption.

The UK envoy who expressed her admiration for the young and talented Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the UK was serious about returning ill-gotten gains and preventing it from happening in the first place.

She recalled past support of the UK government to the EFCC and the fight against corruption in Nigeria through the Combined Inter-Agency Task Force.

We remain strong partners and we are here to support you,

she said.

Bawa stressed the need to strengthen the special relationship between the EFCC and the UK government and her agencies.

He said:

We should continue to work together to achieve our mutual interests. We must try to strengthen the special relationship we have maintained especially with the NCA.

He said the commission was working assiduously to

change the narrative as far as the fight against corruption in Nigeria is concerned.

He disclosed that the commission will on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 launch its 2021-2025 Strategic Plan prepared with the support of UK agencies.

Bawa also thanked the envoy for the UK Government’s support in developing the commission’s forensic capacity through training, adding that the EFCC under his leadership has deployed technology to improve its operations.

The EFCC chairman said his agency recently launched an App, Eagle Eye, which simplifies the process of reporting economic and financial crimes.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.