By Owolola Adebola
The International Police (Interpol) on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 extended its globalized information- 247 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The information platform, codenamed 1P-247, was extended to the EFCC in a brief ceremony attended by the Acting Executive Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, key officers of Interpol and some management staff of the EFCC.
The IP-24/7 is a global police communications system that connects law enforcement agencies in all the 194 member countries. It enables users share sensitive and urgent police information with their counterparts around the globe, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year.
With the extension of IP-247 to the EFCC, the Commission now has direct, quick access to 18 databases through which information about criminal activities across the world can be accessed.
Commissioner of Police, Interpol and Head, National Central Bureau, (NCB), G.B. Umar, while congratulating the EFCC and the Acting Executive Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu on the new milestone achieved by the Commission, said the extension of the platform was made possible by the Chairman’s passion and determination in the fight against financial crimes in Nigeria.
He described the platform as a great breakthrough in criminal investigation. According to him, with access to the Interpol platform, the EFCC can now manage the 18 databases itself without going through the Interpol secretariat in Lyon, France.
In his response, Magu thanked the Interpol for extending IP-247 to the EFCC and its role in facilitating arrests and investigation of many high-profile corrupt individuals. “Things get done when you work with Interpol. We have been planning this since 2018 and I thank God it is happening today”, he said. He also expressed delight that the platform will energize every enforcement initiative of the EFCC, stressing that, “enforcement is the greatest deterrent to corruption”.
It would be recalled that the EFCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Interpol on November 29. 2018 as part of collaboration aimed at tackling the menace of corruption in Nigeria.