By: Issa Hamed Alhaji
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has reaffirmed the Commission’s readiness to partner with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Canadian Government to intensify efforts against terrorism financing and illegal mining in Nigeria.
Olukoyede made this known on Friday, April 24, 2026, when the Canadian Senior Project Manager for Counter-terrorism and Anti-Crime Capacity Building Programmes, Wilma Endamne, alongside the Project Coordinator of the UNODC Counter-terrorism Unit, Tom Parker, paid him a courtesy visit at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
Speaking through his Chief of Staff, Commander of the EFCC, CE Michael Nzekwe, Olukoyede expressed appreciation for the consistent support the Commission has received from both the UNODC and the Canadian Government, noting that the EFCC has maintained a strong and productive relationship with the two partners over the years.
“I deeply appreciate the support we have continued to receive from the UNODC and the Canadian Government. Thank you,” he said.
He further revealed that the EFCC remains relentless in tackling terrorism financing and illegal mining, adding that the Commission has recorded a significant number of convictions in these areas.
“The EFCC has been very active in addressing terrorism financing and illegal mining. We have secured a good number of convictions related to illegal mining across our zonal directorates. We have remained committed, and your continued support in building capacity has been invaluable. We look forward to strengthening this capacity even further,” he said.
Olukoyede also pointed out that criminal networks are increasingly leveraging sophisticated technology, making it necessary for the Commission to upgrade its own capabilities in order to stay ahead and achieve better results.
“At our level, we have made considerable efforts internally to ensure continuous training, especially in areas such as terrorism financing, illegal mining, and money laundering,” he added.
While stressing the importance of sustained capacity development, the EFCC boss reiterated the Commission’s openness to more collaborative opportunities.
“The Commission remains open to collaboration. We are committed to deepening our partnership with the UNODC. Whatever it takes to dismantle all forms of terrorism financing, we are fully committed,” he said.
Supporting the Chairman’s position, the Director of Investigation, Commander of the EFCC, CE Abdulkarim Chukkol, disclosed that the Commission has recently intensified its crackdown on illegal mining, leading to numerous arrests and prosecutions of those involved.
Earlier, Tom Parker explained that the delegation’s visit was aimed at exploring stronger collaborative strategies to combat terrorism financing and illegal mining. He added that the UNODC is already working with various stakeholders and has established a technical working group to support these efforts.