Presidency: Lack of Forensic Investigators Pose Challenge to Anti-graft War

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The presidency has said the 21st century technological revolution as well as investigators and auditors who are unskilled in forensic and investigative auditing pose a major challenge to Nigeria’s war against corruption.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while declaring open the 2nd annual conference/induction ceremony for new members of the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Auditors (CIFIA) of Nigeria, with the theme: ‘The Paradigm of Forensic and Investigative Audit in Changing and the Landscape of Fraud and Corruption.’

Mustapha who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office, Mrs. Amina Shamaki, said attempts by successive administrations to tame corruption which has impeded socioeconomic development of the country remains largely unsuccessful.

He stated: “The 21st century technological revolution has further created new methods and ease to perpetuate corruption in all its ramifications and in almost all spheres of endeavour.

“This new ease has made fraud cases difficult to detect by the police, investigators and auditors unskilled in forensic and investigative auditing. This therefore poses a major challenge with great vigour and determination by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.“

Earlier, the Protem Chairman of CIFAN, Dr. Victoria Enape, said the overall motivation of the institute was to ensure that prosecutors and investigators in Nigeria are in position to effectively take advantage of forensic and investigative auditing techniques to win war against fraud and corruption.

She added that the institute remains undaunted in pursuit of this objective against all odds, stressing that the institute had also trained and inducted thousands of people from various government departments and the testimonies have been very encouraging.

On his part, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) , Abubakar Malami, said forensic and investigative auditing which is being aggressively promoted by the CIFIAN in Nigeria has been recognised globally as an effective approach to fraud prevention and for gathering the needed prosecutorial evidence in financial crimes.

He said he believed that CIFIAN has a great role to play in building capacity for prosecutor, expert witnesses, police investigators, lawyers and others involved in the gathering and use of evidence relating to fraud and financial crimes.