Be Powerful Force for Truth, Justice, Integrity, Institute Tells Forensic Experts

Bennett Oghifo

The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) has urged forensic practitioners in the spirit of Christmas which symbolises salvation, light and truth, to become a powerful force for truth, justice and restoration of integrity in Nigeria.

According to the Christmas message signed by the Institute’s Founder and Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, forensic practitioners should recommit to being the unflinching authenticators in the face of forgery; the guardians of due process against clandestine alterations and the followers of the digital and financial trail to expose complex frauds.

He said the same commitment that guides forensic practitioners to scrutinise a fingerprint, authenticate a document, trace a digital footprint, or unravel a financial labyrinth, is exactly what Nigeria desperately needs at a time like this as “practitioners of forensic light.”

Noting that this year’s celebration is tempered by the sobering challenges facing the nation, Gashinbaki charged: “We witness the shadow of certificate forgery obscuring the foundations of merit and integrity in our public institutions. We see the unsettling alleged alteration of duly passed laws before gazetting, a manipulation that strikes at the heart of our democracy and the rule of law. We confront sophisticated contract frauds that drain our commonwealth and erode public trust.  Yet, it is precisely in this landscape that our expertise is not just relevant, but critical.”

The CIFCFIN founder reminded forensic professionals of the high expectations from the Nigerian people in this season of sober reflection. “We are entrusted with the meticulous pursuit of factual reality. In our labs, field investigations, and courtrooms, we strive for a similar ideal: evidence made clear, deception made plain, fraud made evident. Our tools – from digital forensics to questioned document examination, forensic accounting to crime scene reconstruction- are more than technical instruments; they are modern-day proclamations of a timeless principle: the truth shall set you free.”

He enjoined forensic practitioners and the public to enjoy this season of peace and goodwill, praying for “the peace of Christmas, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds.”