Ugo Aliogo and Kate Ejisu
The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) is set to establish world class forensic laboratories across the country.
A statement made to THISDAY by organisation said the first of these would be built before the end of the year, adding that this is coming on the heels of the assent to the Bill for CIFCFIN’s charter by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 23, 2022.
Speaking recently on the significance of the charter in Abuja, CIFCFIN President and Chairman of Council, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, said the Institute would partner more robustly with other enforcement agencies such as the Eeconomic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Police, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) among others in the war against corruption, illicit financial flows and other forms of criminality in Nigeria.
“This is why this Institute is poised to usher Nigeria into the era of scientific investigation. Hence, the necessity for more forensic laboratories across the country.
“Up this moment somebody will just break into a house, leave fingerprints all over the place and yet the person will not be caught. So, we are saying here today that that era has ended in Nigeria.”
Gashinbaki explained that the forensic laboratories would be established everywhere in Nigeria and analysis of things like finger prints including dispute regarding DNA and the rest will be over.
According to him, “We are no longer going to spend years upon years and wasting government money on investigations anymore because if you deploy forensic and you deploy technology, you will get accurate results because these things are straight forward; and you will be able to crack your case in months.”
“The laboratories will be complemented with the building of the National College of Forensics and Fraud Investigators (NCFFI), by the Institute to fast track the training and retraining of law enforcement personnel in scientific investigations. The College will be domiciled at EFCC Academy, Abuja as part of the Institute’s strategic alliance with the Commission.
Explaining that CIFCFIN has already commenced the provision of Technical Assistance and institutional strengthening to the Enforcement agencies notably, EFCC, ICPC, CCB, Police and NDLEA, Gashinbaki said the Institute is a professional body that has been chartered to complement the efforts of prosecuting agencies and will play a major role in the 2027 elections in its work with INEC. I am assuring you that in the 2027 general elections, no forged certificate will see the light of the day, none.”
He said the Institute will work with INEC and the Inter-party Advisory Council, (IPAC), to make sure that political parties before their primary elections will turn in the certificates of the people they will want to put forward as candidates for elections for forensic investigations and proper forensic review.
Continuing, he added: “That is one of the gifts for Nigerians from this Institute, and that is the very least of the many things that this Institute has set out to do.”
Commending CIFCFIN charter, sponsor of the Bill and Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, said the passage of CIFCFIN Bill by the National Assembly and the assent by President Buhari “is a great feat for this administration in the area of the fight against corruption because this Institute will help reduce all the stress the anti-corruption agencies are going through in terms of prosecution. And most importantly, it will help to save billions of Naira in terms of capital flight for our dear country, Nigeria in hiring foreign forensic experts.”
