EFCC Teams Up with France to Tackle Cybercrime and Track Assets in Nigeria

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria has partnered with the French government to tackle cybercrime and track assets more effectively. 

This collaboration was officially announced on March 4, 2025, during a visit by Lieutenant General Régis Colombet, the Director of Security and Defence Cooperation at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

The partnership aims to strengthen the fight against financial and cybercrimes in Nigeria. The French government is offering support in areas like asset tracking, cybercrime investigation, and security training. The collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship between the two countries in combating various forms of crime.

Colombet discussed how France has established training centers, such as the Cyber School in Dakar, Senegal, where officials from France offer specialized courses in cyber investigations and asset tracking. He also mentioned other training centers focused on counterterrorism in places like Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. 

He emphasized that these programs aim to build expertise in dealing with emerging security threats, including ransomware and international financial crimes.

He noted that the EFCC plays a vital role in cross-border financial investigations, saying, “International cooperation is essential, and the EFCC’s role in combating financial and cybercrimes is crucial to our collective security efforts.”

The collaboration is seen as necessary due to the rise of cybercrimes and transnational financial offenses, which often spread across borders. EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, welcomed the partnership, highlighting the need for joint efforts to prevent and investigate these crimes. He pointed out that Nigeria has had past successes working with France in tracking illicit financial activities.

In his response, Olukoyede shared the importance of continued collaboration in fighting crime that transcends national borders. He showed a recent success in dismantling an international criminal syndicate that had planned to establish operations in Nigeria. 

Some of the syndicate’s victims were located in France, further underlining the need for stronger international cooperation.

Olukoyede also mentioned that while crime detection and investigation methods in Nigeria often require significant fieldwork, the collaboration with France would allow the EFCC to benefit from advanced technological tools, helping to improve their crime-fighting capabilities.

The partnership between the EFCC and France is a step forward in strengthening international ties in the battle against global financial and cybercrimes. Both parties are committed to using their combined strengths to ensure that criminals have fewer places to hide and face greater chances of being brought to justice.