Customs, EFCC, NFIU Partner To Tackle Money Laundering

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has partnered with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to reinforce Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
Declaring open a two-day capacity-building workshop in Lagos, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Zone A, Mohammed Babandede, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the initiative underscores the importance of inter-agency collaboration in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.
ACG Babandede noted that inter-agency collaboration remains a key policy focus of the Comptroller-General’s administration, adding that such partnerships have contributed significantly to national security efforts.
He explained that participants were drawn from the NCS, EFCC, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and NFIU, reflecting a joint commitment to combating financial crimes.
“The selection of participants was deliberate, focusing on officers from airports and land borders where the movement of cash and human traffic is high. The training will enable participants to exchange ideas and develop actionable outcomes,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders against illicit financial flows and urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to enhance vigilance and compliance in their respective commands.
Representing the NFIU, the Deputy General Manager, Currency Operations Department, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Maryesther Eworitse, commended the NCS for fostering strong institutional collaboration. She disclosed that joint intelligence operations had recently uncovered suspicious cash movements, including a case involving over $6 million at the Lagos airport.
Eworitse added that the NFIU has installed currency declaration kiosks at international terminals and intensified public sensitisation to remind travellers of the mandatory declaration of cash above $10,000.
Similarly, the EFCC Head of Investigations, Lagos Zonal office, Shehu Muhammad, emphasised the crucial role of synergy in dismantling sophisticated financial crime networks.
“The Nigeria Customs Service plays a lead role in the currency declaration regime, while the EFCC handles investigations and prosecutions. Strengthening inter-agency synergy will improve our effectiveness,”Muhammad said.
The workshop, jointly organised by the NCS and NFIU, aims to strengthen institutional cooperation, improve compliance with financial regulations, and enhance Nigeria’s resilience against money laundering, terrorism financing, and other cross-border financial crimes.

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