President Bola Tinubu has emphasized the need for strengthened cooperation between Nigerian law enforcement agencies and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to tackle cybercrime, terrorism, and related criminal activities. This call to action was made during a meeting with FBI Director Christopher Asher Wray at the State House in Abuja on Friday.
Tinubu highlighted the significance of the FBI Director’s visit, noting it as a testament to the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the U.S. in combating financial crimes and terrorism. Present at the meeting were key Nigerian security officials, including National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Magaji Bichi. Also attending were the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) and Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye.
The meeting also saw the presence of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Olanipekun Olukoyede and the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka. Tinubu expressed his honor in hosting Wray, acknowledging the FBI’s consistent procedural sophistication and excellence over the years. He stated that Wray’s visit underscored the importance of the Nigeria-U.S. partnership in law enforcement.
“For us, it is a recognition of what stage we are at, who we are, and the level of interest both countries share in eliminating crimes locally and globally,” Tinubu remarked. He stressed the necessity of collaboration to achieve the significant goal of eliminating crimes and noted Nigeria’s role as ECOWAS Chairman in working with other West African countries to combat economic and related crimes.
Tinubu also shared that his administration prioritizes education as a tool against poverty, a known driver of criminal activities. “We are working hard to eliminate terrorism, cybercrimes, sextortion, and I am glad that we have a good number of agencies involved in reducing these crimes to the barest minimum, and they are well represented at this meeting,” he said.
The president emphasized that no single country can combat financial crimes alone, calling on the U.S. to support developing countries with necessary technology and knowledge transfer to address complex international crimes. In response, FBI Director Wray praised the outstanding partnership between Nigeria and the U.S., lauding Tinubu for fostering these growing relationships to protect citizens of both nations.
“We appreciate the President’s vision in countering terrorism in the region, which is a dangerous threat not only to the countries in the region but also to the United States,” Wray stated. He commended Tinubu’s efforts in re-engineering the role of the National Security Adviser’s office to effectively coordinate counter-terrorism activities, noting successes against ISIS in West Africa and other terrorist groups.
Wray assured Tinubu of the FBI’s continued support in areas such as counter-terrorism, cyber-enabled crimes, kidnapping, joint investigations, and intelligence sharing, underscoring the importance of the U.S.-Nigeria relationship.