Illegal Solid Mineral Operators Threatens Economy- EFCC Boss

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol has lamented that the activities of illegal solid mineral operators in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria has posed grave threat to the local and national economy, through non- payment of royalties, taxes and other dues.

Chukkol spoke at a one day workshop organised for journalists by the commission tagged: “Effective Reporting of Economic and Financial Crimes” held at the Ilorin Zonal Command.

He noted that the Commission has been active in tackling their criminalities and would continue to ensure that extant laws against illegal miners are enforced.

Represented by the Ilorin Zonal Commander of EFCC, Michael Nzekwe, the commission’s chairman said that, “I wish to convey the appreciation of the entire Commission to you all for the redoubtable roles you have been playing in reporting the works of the EFCC since its inception more than 20 years ago.

“Without doubt, the task of keeping a tab on our works is both engaging and arduous. Engaging because the Commission has been profoundly impactful in combating the menace of corrupt practices in our midst, going by its impressive records of convictions, asset forfeitures and other tangible proofs of accomplishments over the years.

“The reporting has also been arduous because our works are not static and you have always been keeping pace with our speed and energy.”

Speaking further, Chukkol stressed that, “It is in recognition of these tasks that the Commission initiated a Workshop on economic and financial crimes reporting for Journalists in 2022.

The Workshop is one of the modest efforts of the Commission to build synergy and foster a more engaging relationship with the media.

“It was flagged off last year in some of our Zonal Commands but its scope has been significantly expanded to make Journalists in other Zonal Commands of the Commission benefit from it.

“Economic and financial crimes remain a threat to our individual and corporate progress. It is not only by being a victim of these crimes that we suffer losses. We also suffer limitations when our neighbours, colleagues, institutions and nation fall prey to them.

“This means that we should not wait until we suffer any loss before we move against corrupt practices. It bears reiterating that, as journalists, we owe our nation and the entire world an obligation of exposing every shadiness and criminal acts through our reporting.

“Journalism is the best gateway to whistle blowing and I charge the media to deploy more time, energy and commitment in exposing all fraudulent activities in our midst.”

The Chairman of the anti-graft agency also said that cybercrime is a major crime, particularly, among undergraduates and fresh graduates of tertiary institutions in Kwara State.

“The commission has been active in tackling their criminalities and will continue to ensure that extant laws against illegal miners are enforced,” he said.

The EFCC boss, who said that Nigerians should not wait until they suffer any loss on economic and financial crimes before they move against corrupt practices, noted  that, “economic and financial crimes remain a threat to our individual and corporate progress.

He charged the nation’s journalists on patriotism, saying that, “as journalists, we owe our nation and the entire world an obligation of exposing every shadiness and criminal acts through our reporting.

“Journalism is the best gateway to whistle blowing and I charge the media to deploy more time, energy and commitment in exposing all fraudulent activities in our midst”.

In one of the presentations, titled, “New trends in cybercrime: how not to become a victim” by Alex Ocheme of the EFCC, the commission said that cybercrime had eaten over $8 trillion of victims’ hard earned finances in the world.

He, however, said that legal bottleneck is one of the factors hindering cross border corruption investigation.

Ocheme said that not all African countries had passed the law on cybercrime, adding that since one cannot compel those countries to try corruption offenders with such law, it means that, “the money stolen is gone”.