On Friday, President Bola Tinubu welcomed Christopher Asher Wray, the director of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), at the State House in Abuja. Tinubu assured him that Nigeria is actively working to combat terrorism, cybercrime, and other criminal activities.
During their meeting, Tinubu emphasized the importance of collaboration between Nigeria and other West African countries to address regional crime issues.
“We are working hard to eliminate terrorism, cybercrimes, sextortion, and I am pleased that we have a good number of agencies dedicated to reducing these crimes to the barest minimum, all of which are represented at this meeting,” Tinubu stated, according to a release by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.
“We cannot achieve this critical goal of eliminating crimes without collaboration. As the Chairman of ECOWAS, Nigeria is also working with other West African countries to combat economic and related crimes.
“It is an honor to receive Director Christopher Wray, the leader of an organization known for its procedural sophistication and excellence. Your visit highlights the importance of the partnership between Nigeria and the United States in law enforcement. This recognition underscores our mutual commitment to combating crime locally and globally.”
Tinubu also highlighted his administration’s focus on education as a tool to combat poverty, which is often a driver of criminal activity.
He further stressed that no country can fight financial crimes alone and called on the United States to support developing nations with the necessary technology and knowledge transfer to tackle complex international crimes.
Director Wray, in his remarks, stated that his visit aimed to strengthen the “outstanding partnership” between the governments of Nigeria and the United States.