The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has stated that corruption was the key issue promoting insecurity in the country and called for a collective fight against it.

He made this known on Tuesday, September 11, 2024, at the 2024 Annual Civil-Military Conference, organized by Civil-Military Cooperation, (CIMICO) at the National Defence College, Abuja.

Olukoyede who was represented by the Director of Public Affairs Directorate, Commander of the EFCC, CE Wilson Uwujaren stated that “Corruption is the key issue in terms of the promotion of insecurity in this nation. When people talk about insecurity and national development, one factor that is important to note is the implication of corruption on national security management and development. It is time for us to collectively fight corruption which has become a major challenge to our nation’s development. The loss of resources to corruption denies our nation the resources we should have used to provide infrastructure and digital services for our people, deepening the poverty we experience in this country,” he said.

Speaking further, the EFCC boss stated that corruption breeds poverty, which in turn makes the jobless to embrace recruitment into banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.

Olukoyede pledged EFCC’s unwavering support to the armed forces in the fight against insecurity and to ensure that proceeds of crime are not deployed by rogue elements to oxygenate terrorist activities. “We will continue to monitor the flow of funds, especially in the banking sector, to ensure that illicit money doesn’t get into the hands of bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists,” he stated.

In his welcome address, Mr. Adams Otakwu, convener and founder CIMICO, urged civil society organizations to be driven by patriotism and stay off fraudulent activities. “Civil societies must be genuine and not be involved in fraudulent activities. Our role is to call public institutions to accountability, not to indulge in blackmail. That is not activism, and we must desist from that and engage in productive ventures. As civil society organizations, we are the conscious of the society; if we lose it, we lose everything. It is not about money; it is about patriotism,” he said.

The Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Morakinyo Olotu, on his part, stated that the essence of the conference was to brainstorm and bring forth solutions to the government on insecurity. “We aim to develop implementable strategies to tackle insecurity and promote national development,” he said.

The representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babatunde Bolaji Bernard, emphasized the need to reach and educate people at the grassroots level against aiding terrorists and criminal elements and for members of the public to desist from spreading fake news churned out by criminals. “We must educate them on the need not to support criminals, as some of them are conveying terrorists, buying fuel, food, and other necessities for them.”

The Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, called for a concerted effort from all Nigerians in tackling insecurity, stating that “Security affairs are everybody’s business, not just the police and other law enforcement agencies. We must join hands with the police and other law enforcement agencies to end the menace of insecurity.”

The event, themed: “Whole of Society Approach to National Security and Development,” brought together stakeholders from various sectors for the forging of solutions to insecurity in the country and the promotion of national development.