EFCC BOSS ADVISES: ANTI GRAFT OFFICERS MUST EMBRACE A PLAN OF ACTION TO ENCASE SELVES FROM POLITICALLY EXPOSED BIGWIGS
The Zonal Director, Benin Zonal Command of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Effa I. Okim has reiterated the importance of adopting strategy to mitigate the dangling of carrots from politically exposed persons in the bid to truncate justice .
Okim stated this while fielding questions from newsmen during a courtesy visit to the Delta State secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria on Tuesday towards strengthening existing relationship and collaboration with critical stakeholders to the Commission.
When asked what had been his experience navigating through temptations put forward by politically exposed persons especially when some past governors under investigation within jurisdiction decided to play ball.
His response: “you asked me whether or whether not the politicians have compromised us or we are working with them.
That question is as good as who among us does not know that those things exist.
But the question should rather be that can we withstand that pressure. It is a bad system of course; the criminal will want to overwhelm those who have been designated to fight them.
They say when you fight crime, crime fights back.
We are all adults we have been hearing that; so, it is obvious.
“The right question”, he continued, “should have been, how do you or what strategies have been put in place to mitigate that. That, we are trying our best and that is why we are still here. If we are not trying our best we won’t be here whether we like it or not.
…… Yahoo Boys now wear uniform
On the activities of internet fraudsters, he said, “I have been in the system for over 20 years and I came with happiness because I am coming closer home, but when I got to my jurisdiction something scared me, I saw a situation where criminals are wearing uniforms (dreadlocks) and proud of criminality in the open, whereas in a sane society crime hides.
“On a scale of 0-10, if you see them 7 are yahoo boys, kidnappers and more, at this point it is confrontational, for instead of you to hide you are standing before me and saying you are a criminal.
“In crime, size matters which brings Lagos to the forefront of crime but why is Delta, Ondo, Benin coming second? he asked.
“On the way forward, “What is that should be done, I said let us develop new strategies that maybe might give us good results.
“Our ultimate goal is to eradicate crime, although people say its impossible to eradicate but only curb but that shows we are desirous to do more”, he further stated.
