Institute wants speedy assent to forensic bill to curb fraud, corruption

By Sylvester Thompson

The Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria(CIFIPIN), says the speedy assent to the bill establishing the institute will restrict fraud, corruption and cybercrimes in the country.

Dr Enape Victioria, President Pro Tem of the institute said this on Sunday in Abuja during a free seminar of digital forensic and cybercrimes organised by the institute for Nigerian professionals.

She said the place of forensic and investigative professionals in economic development could not be overemphasised because it provides the legal frame work for the registration, training, regulation and certification of practitioners.

According to Enape, President Muhammadu Buhari’s call for forensic auditing of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), showed how important forensics was to the country.

Enape disclosed that Nigeria had severally, been resonated with perplexing news of fraud, corruption and cybercrimes, which had remained a bane in the wheel of collective progress of the nation.

“Financial institutions are losing money to cybercrimes every day and it keeps increasing.

“The sudden collapse of some corporate organisations due to fraud in Nigeria is worrisome, seeing that our youth are suffering unemployment,’’ she said.

Enape lamented that government was also losing a lot of money on daily basis due to fraud, corruption and other cybercrimes, leading to an empty treasury.

“Government agencies and multinational corporations spend huge sums of money out of our scarce foreign exchange, to retain forensic experts and investigative professionals in a bid to unravel complex cases of fraud and cybercrimes in Nigeria.

“This must not continue in a country like ours which is blessed with enormous human resources, young brains and capabilities,’’ she said.

She added that comparatively smaller countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe had adopted the use of forensic investigation in their countries long ago.

“No country can experience economic growth with poor or no fraud preventive measures in place, and that is the core mandate of CIFIPIN,’’ Enape said.

According to her, apart from the huge revenues lost by the public and private organisations due to lack of efficient anti-fraud mechanisms, the development also has profound security implications on the nation.

She said that could be reversed by signing into law, the bill establishing the CIFIPIN.

“We call on the government to please do the needful on the forensic bill and not listen to sentiment and parochial interest of some group of persons,’’ she said.

Enape said that the determination to see a change in the negative narratives, gave birth to the CIFIPIN.

According to her, surprisingly the introduced bill encountered stiff opposition until it was finally passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, and now awaiting presidential assent.

She said that no conflict exists between the Forensic and Investigative Professionals Bill and all other known and existing legislations.

“This is because Forensic is an emerging trend, it was not there in the 60s when some of the acts were established,’’ she said. (NAN)