The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has renewed its commitment to strengthening international partnerships in the fight against sextortion, cybercrime and other transnational financial offences.
The Commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 recently hosted representatives of the United States Consulate and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with both sides agreeing on the need for improved intelligence sharing and closer cooperation to tackle emerging forms of digital crime.
The engagement focused on enhancing information exchange, improving investigative support and developing stronger mechanisms for tracking individuals involved in sextortion and related cyber offences.
Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the United States Consulate, SSA James Smith, said closer collaboration between both agencies would improve the gathering and sharing of intelligence on criminal activities involving Nigerian and foreign nationals.
He noted that the partnership would help strengthen ongoing efforts to address cyber-enabled crimes that continue to affect victims across borders.
Also speaking, SSA Thomas Pepper of the FBI Cyber Division Headquarters, highlighted the importance of timely and targeted information sharing between both agencies.
Pepper said the FBI and EFCC had maintained a strong working relationship over the years, adding that there was a need to improve the speed and efficiency of investigative cooperation.
He identified sextortion as a growing concern requiring coordinated international action and proposed the establishment of a joint framework to support intelligence gathering and case management between the two agencies.
According to him, the FBI would continue to provide relevant information and additional identifiers that could assist the EFCC in investigating reported cases and tracking suspected offenders.
Responding, the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I) Bawa Usman Kaltungo, assured the delegation of the Commission’s readiness to sustain collaboration with international law enforcement organisations.
Kaltungo said the EFCC values partnerships that enhance its ability to investigate and prosecute financial and cyber-related crimes.
He, however, stressed the importance of access to advanced tracking tools and investigative support to enable law enforcement agencies to respond more quickly to emerging threats.
He added that the Commission would continue to provide necessary cooperation in cases requiring joint investigations.
The Head of Investigations, ACE II Moses Oguzi, also acknowledged the long-standing relationship between the EFCC and the US government, while requesting a clear operational framework for the proposed collaboration.
Oguzi sought clarification on the scope of the planned partnership, including whether it would cover only computer-related fraud or extend to other areas of financial crime such as visa fraud.
The US delegation assured the Commission that relevant information would be provided in a structured manner to ensure effective investigations and prevent unnecessary data overload.
The renewed partnership reflects growing global efforts among law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime, protect victims and strengthen responses to criminal networks operating across international boundaries.
