Forensic Institute to Support INEC in Electoral Fraud Deterrence

The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Examiners of Nigeria (CIFCFEN) has said it would support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the areas of electoral fraud deterrence, and forensics evidence gathering.

This will involve training and retraining of INEC officials to help them recognize and identify threats and tends of electoral malpractices and also mitigate vote buying during the elections.

Speaking at CIFCFEN’s 6th Professional Training and Standards graduation ceremony, at the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja, recently, the President, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki said other categories of officials in the electoral management process to benefit from the Institute’s capacity building, are security officials, election observers and Civil Society Organizations.

He also reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to providing “a robust technical assistance on revenue recovery to both the Federal and sub-national governments in tackling the challenges as Nigeria is faced with the greatest revenue crisis in history.”

This, he attributed to oil theft, direct revenue leakages, misappropriation and diversion of public funds.

Deploring the scale in which corruption and financial crimes is growing, Chairman, CIFCFEN Professional Training and Standards, Prof. Michael Ayeni said to outwit the perpetrators, forensic experts must upscale their knowledge which the Institute is doing.

“To this end we implore the government to look inwards whenever the services of forensic experts are required and to engage members of our Institute.” Ayeni said the Institute is ready to join forces with the anti-crime agencies in the country to fight the illicit business to a stand-still.

A total of 108 members graduated form CIFCFEN Course 6 made up of 52 from 6th Proficiency Class; 8 home bred candidates from 3rd Fraud Examiners Proficiency Training and 48 from 4th Direct membership among who are 8 top-ranking EFCC officers and 2 from the Code of Conduct Bureau. So far, the Institute has trained 2,000 forensic experts.

CIFCFEN was established by Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) to provide core professionals in the specialized fields of Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination in Nigeria. This will in turn strengthen the crusade against corruption in the country.