The United States Consulate in Lagos and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its investigative effectiveness and sustained efforts in combating sextortion and transnational financial crimes.
The commendation came on Monday, July 6, 2026, during a courtesy visit by Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the United States Consulate, SSA James Smith, and SSA Thomas Pepper of the Cyber Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation Headquarters, to the Acting Zonal Director of EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I), Bawa Usman Kaltungo, in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Speaking during the interactive session, Smith said the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing collaboration between the U.S. Consulate and the Commission, particularly in the area of information sharing to combat criminal activities involving both Nigerians and foreign nationals.
He emphasised that closer cooperation would enhance intelligence gathering and information sharing, particularly in ongoing efforts to combat sextortion, cybercrime, and other transnational crimes.
Also speaking, Pepper thanked the Commission for the opportunity to engage, adding: “Already, we have been enjoying a robust collaboration and partnership with the EFCC in so many cases.
“But I want to state that we are willing to improve the timeliness and efficiency of the investigative information we share with the EFCC.”
According to him, enhanced and targeted information sharing would further strengthen the working relationship between the two agencies in tackling sextortion.
He noted that sextortion had become a priority issue in the United States and proposed the establishment of a joint team to facilitate intelligence gathering and information sharing on cases reported to the Commission, as well as requests made by the EFCC to the FBI.
Speaking further on the proposed joint operation, he appealed to the Commission to expedite investigations into sextortion cases, adding that the FBI was working on obtaining additional identifiers that would be shared with the Commission.
Responding, Kaltungo thanked the delegation for the visit and assured them of the Commission’s full cooperation.
“Our doors are always open for collaboration. We also maintain similar partnerships with other countries and international partners.
“However, we need your assistance and support to enable us to track and apprehend these perpetrators in good time.
“The availability of tracking tools will help us carry out our work more efficiently.
“I assure you of our continued cooperation and support, and we are here to assist.”
Kaltungo also assured the delegation that the Commission would expedite investigations into the cases presented by the FBI.
In his remarks, the Head of Investigations, ACE II Moses Oguzi, said the Commission had enjoyed a robust collaboration with the U.S. Government and the FBI over the years. He, however, urged the FBI to provide a framework for the proposed operation to guide the Commission’s participation.
He also sought clarification on whether the proposed collaboration would be limited to computer-related fraud or extended to other forms of financial crime, given the increasing incidence of visa fraud.
Responding, Smith assured the Commission that a list of relevant cases would be provided.
“We have a lot of cases. Relevant information tailored to the agreed areas of interest will also be shared to avoid overwhelming the EFCC with unnecessary data.”
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