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U.S Mission Nigeria Reaffirms Robust Relationship With EFCC
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills (Jr.), has reaffirmed that the robust working relationship between the United States government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would continue in order to achieve significant success in the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
He stated this in Abuja on Tuesday when he led a delegation of the US mission in Nigeria on a familiarisation visit to the executive chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, at the commission’s corporate headquarters.
“I’m grateful for the relationship we have both through our legal attache and with these other offices here. The US government was strongly supportive of the creation of EFCC when it was established and our relationship has continued since then. I’m here today to learn a little bit about what the chairman’s priorities are for the EFCC moving forward; what you see as the key trends in financial crimes that you’re addressing and how the U.S. government and U.S. mission can assist you, either with information sharing or sharing of expertise, closer cooperation in specific cases,” he said.
Explaining further, Mills pointed out that “part of the reason we’re so interested in these issues is because they affect both our countries and they affect what we’re both trying to do, which is to create a secure, prosperous Nigeria and build our economies, both the US and the Nigerians,” he said.
Olukoyede, who was delighted with the visit, took the delegation on a brief tour of the mandate of the EFCC. “In the EFCC, our mandate is to fight economic and financial crimes not only to prevent them. We have a mandate to prevent, to investigate and where one has occurred to also prosecute and by extension, we also recover assets in the course of our work, which are one way or the other, subject to the directive of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), led by the president to manage them.
While recognising that Nigeria, over the years, has had a beneficial relationship with the US government and its agencies in EFCC’s efforts to sanitise the country’s financial space, Olukoyede looked forward to amplified relationship with the US government and the US mission in Nigeria for improved outcomes in the fight against corruption and financial crimes.
“The relationship between the United States and Nigeria in relation to the fight against financial crimes dates way back and has been one of very strong synergy and mutually beneficial collaboration. Nigeria and America have been having mutual cooperation, particularly in the area of the fight against financial crimes. And this we hope to build on, to strengthen and to take to the next level,” he said.
He sued for enhanced support and collaboration stressing that “the support is needed, especially in the areas of technology, intelligence gathering and sharing and human capital development. We recognise the fact that most of the work we do is intelligence-driven. And when we talk of intelligence, we are talking of technology. So, we need your support in that area. And also need it in capacity building, collaboration, information and intelligence sharing which is very important. And we are requesting that America needs to reciprocate by attending to our requests on time because we notice that maybe you consider your laws and all of that. We will just wish you could fast-track your response to some of our requests. We would really appreciate if you can improve on that during your tenure,” he said.
Speaking further, the EFCC boss disclosed some of his recent efforts at curbing visa fraud that pose an endless challenge to foreign missions in the country. “Just last year, I established the Visa Application and Immigration Fraud Section in EFCC and we have its desk all across our zonal offices to deal with issues that have to do with visa racketeering and immigration fraud. It is a dedicated desk that works 48 hours. And we’ll be having good results. So we also need your support in that area in the exchange of information and intelligence with us and in technology and gadgets you can support us with. The Nigerian government is willing to collaborate more with the government of the United States to work more for the mutual interests of both countries,” he said.
In light of the Kwara State Government’s fresh prosecution of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his successor over the Offa robbery, fresh facts have emerged on why the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. E. U. (Etsu Umar) Mohammed gave the duo a clean bill of health.
The Federal Director of Public Prosecutions cleared former Senate President Bukola Saraki of involvement in the Offa bank robbery in 2018, citing no evidence of a connection.
It was gathered that the DPP reviewed a 16-page police report prepared and signed by Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and then head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) at Force Headquarters, Abuja. The report detailed investigations into the April 5, 2018, multiple bank robbery attack in Offa, Kwara State.
The DPP in his first report dated June 22, 2018 and signed on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, prepared a five page legal advice in which he noted in paragraph 5 (f) that “for the Senate President (Saraki) and the Kwara State Governor (Ahmed), his office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects. Hence, it is our advice that further and thorough investigation in this regard be carried out”.
Following the submission of a second report by the police investigating team to his office on July 27, 2018, the DPP prepared a second legal advice, which was dated August 23, 2018. The three-page legal advice also has only three paragraphs.
In paragraph 3 (vi), he noted that “with regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide punishable with death”.
Both legal advices had recommended six people for prosecution. They are: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Ibrahim, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran, and Michael Adiukwu.
One of the suspects, Michael Adiukwu, later died in police custody, while the other five had since been tried at the High Court in Ilorin.
During the trial, the suspects revealed how they were coerced into incriminating Senator Bukola Saraki.
They mentioned several inducements dangled before them, including money and the promise of a visa to travel out of the country.
The suspects have since been convicted and their convictions confirmed by the Court of Appeal. The matter is now pending before the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Terrorists have abducted a traditional ruler in Olayinka community, located in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Salman Olátúnjí Aweda and are demanding a ₦400 million ransom for his release.
The abduction occurred on April 18, 2026, when armed men, suspected to be militia herdsmen, invaded the community and took the monarch, his wife, and another resident into the forest.
According to JomogNews, residents who witnessed the incident said the terrorists, numbering over 10, invaded the monarch’s residence around Saturday midnight, forced the door open, and abducted him alongside another person in the house.
The assailants reportedly led both victims into the bush.
Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Mr Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, visited the community on Saturday on a sympathy visit and assured residents that efforts were underway to secure the monarch’s release.
“We are deeply concerned about this incident, and we are taking swift and decisive action in collaboration with security agencies,” he said.
Bishop David Oyedepo, General Overseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide, has declared that bandits and their sponsors will face divine judgment and retribution within seven days.
Speaking on Sunday, April 19, 2026, during a service themed “Covenant Day of Vengeance” at the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, the cleric stated that those responsible for killings and kidnappings would face imminent consequences.
“I declare judgement on those who caused these tragedies and their supporters in the name of Jesus,” he said.
The cleric further asserted that divine retribution would occur within a short timeframe.
“Unless I am not sent, this will happen in the next seven days,” he added.
Oyedepo also expressed confidence that Nigerians would soon witness outcomes of what he described as divine intervention, noting that the coming days would bring “testimonies of vengeance.”
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