Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, has expressed the Commission’s readiness and compliance with the WAPIS Program’s standards.
On January 18, 2023, at the Corporate Headquarters of the Commission, he disclosed this information to a delegation of the International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL, led by Stephen Kavangh, Executive Director, Police Services.
Bawa praised the idea behind WAPIS and emphasized that information sharing and cooperation across West African law enforcement organizations is a real method of promoting openness and transparency in the investigation and prosecution of criminal situations.
“Naming and shaming are important in checking criminal tendencies. Every record and data imputed into WAPIS Platform are good for the whole world. At the EFCC, the 2220 convictions secured in 2021 are already uploaded on the platform, though the data are still Stand Alone Upload, due to the logistics of connecting the WAPIS server. Between now and June 2023, all data regarding investigation, prosecution and conviction of suspects and convicts since 2004 will be uploaded”, he said.
Bawa continued by saying that Nigeria is setting the bar for law enforcement through its institutions, particularly the EFCC. The WAPIS Desk Officer at the EFCC has already received the 3785 convictions obtained by the Commission in 2022. This demonstrates our dedication to the initiative, he said.
The WAPIS Program’s foundation and requirements for all law enforcement organizations in the West African sub-region were previously explained by Kavangh. “Ensuring that Nigeria is strong is our goal. Law enforcement will be boosted as a result of 16 countries working together in West Africa to share intelligence and crucial information, he claimed. He congratulated the EFCC for its obvious dedication and perseverance in carrying out its duty.
A big group of people, including Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Umar Garba, the head of INTERPOL’s National Centre Bureau (NCB) in Nigeria, accompanied Kavangh on the visit.