Senate Confirms Ibrahim Lamorde As EFCC Boss

Source: huhuonline.com

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Huhuonline.com /  understands that the leadership of the Senate has confirmed the appointment of Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde as the substantial chairman of Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier sent the name of the acting chairman for confirmation after been appointed to oversee the affairs of the agency.

After a gruelling two hour session with Senate members, he walked out of the parliament building about mid-day to a tumultuous welcome by friends and associates, having been confirmed as the third substantive Chairman of the Commission at the plenary session of the Senate.

A motion to consider his confirmation as requested by President Goodluck Jonathan, in accordance with Section 2(3) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004, was moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Udoma-Egba and seconded by Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

The Senators put several questions to Lamorde to assess his strength and competence. Some of these questions bordered on issues of firming up the anti-graft war; fast-tracking judicial processes to secure more convictions; ridding the EFCC itself of corruption; independence of the EFCC in the face of a possible executive interference and the need for the establishment of a Special Court to try corruption cases.

Lamorde had replied that the delay in getting conviction was due to the congestion of cases in the conventional courts.

'Dedicated court for corruption cases will help to a large extent in expeditious disposition of corruption cases as corruption has become an issue that affects national life'. He reminded the Senate of the heavy load of work on an average judge in a conventional court and that a Special Court will minimize such overload on judges and make the wheel of justice run more smoothly.

While defending the need for improved funding of the EFCC, especially the construction of the headquarters building, the new EFCC boss said the agency was operating from about five rented locations in Abuja.

'The completion of the headquarters building will help put our operations under one roof; a development which will discourage movement of files and documents all over the city, provision of security in all the offices can then be concentrated on the headquarters', he explained.

The EFCC Chairman also dispelled insinuations by some Senators that the EFCC was being used as an attack dog to settle political scores. According to Lamorde, 'that insinuation is not correct. I acted as Chairman between January and May, 2008, that is a period of five months, I have been acting as chairman since November 23, 2012. Nobody has interfered with our operations. I think it is all a matter of perception', he said.

It would be recalled that Mrs. Farida Mzamber Waziri was appointed Executive Chairperson of in May 2008 and succeeded Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

She was later removed from her position by President Goodluck Jonathan on November 23, 2011 and replaced by Ibrahim Lamorde as acting chairman.

Lamorde's Profile
After his mandatory National Youth Service, N.Y.S.C, 1984 - 1985, Lamorde enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Officer on 1st January, 1986.  After the successful completion of cadet officers training, he passed out as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in July 1987.

He did a one year probation period, after which he was confirmed as a substantive Assistant Superintendent of Police.  He served as a Divisional Crime Officer 1988 - 1989 and later as a Police Public Relations Officer from 1989 to 1993.  In 1993, the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force was created and he was drafted as one of the pioneer officers.  He served in the SFU from 1993 to 2002.

 
While he was with the SFU, he was drafted to serve with the United Nations Civilian Police in East Timor from March 2000 to March 2001.  He served as the Chief Investigation Officer of Ermera District of East Timor. In September 2002, he was transferred to Oyo State of Nigeria, where he served as Divisional Police Officer, until April 2003.  On the creation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he was seconded to serve as the Director of Operations from April 2003 to December, 2007.

   
He was appointed the Ag. Chairman of the EFCC in January, 2008 to May, 2008. He was recalled back to the Nigeria Police and posted to the Area Command in Ningi, Bauchi State as the Area Commander from June, 2008 to November 2008.

   
He was later redeployed to the Bauchi State Police Command, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as the Officer -in -Charge. In December 2010, he earned a recall to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as Director of Operations.

   
He held that position until his appointment as the Ag. Chairman of the EFCC on Wednesday, November 23, 2011.

   
Mr. Lamorde has worked closely with other government law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Metropolitan Police, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Secret Service, Internet Crime Complaints Centre (IC3), Dutch Police, German Police, South African Police, etc.

    
He has supervised the prosecution of 522 Advance Fee Fraud related cases at various High Courts all over Nigeria between April 2003 and June 2008. 253 of the cases were successfully prosecuted and convictions secured, including the extradition of 3 fugitives to the United States. 

   
Mr. Lamorde being the pioneer Director of Operations of EFCC has greatly helped to change public perception of law enforcement, locally and internationally. He has also helped in fostering international law enforcement cooperation in the country.

 
He has attended several courses, seminars and workshops on corruption, Advance Fee Fraud and other economic and financial crimes in the UK, USA, Germany, France, South Africa, Singapore, etc. In 2005, he attended a course on law enforcement at Harvard University. Mr. Lamorde holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Masters Degree in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. He also holds a membership of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and the Nigerian Institute of Management.

 
Huhuonline.com reports that the leadership of the Senate has confirmed the nomination of Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde as the substantial chairman of Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 
President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier sent the name of the acting chairman for confirmation after been appointed to oversee the affairs of the agency.

 
After a gruelling two hour session with Senate members, he walked out of the parliament building about mid-day to a tumultuous welcome by friends and associates, having been confirmed as the third substantive Chairman of the Commission at the plenary session of the Senate.

 
A motion to consider his confirmation as requested by President Goodluck Jonathan, in accordance with Section 2(3) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004, was moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Udoma-Egba and seconded by Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

 
The Senators put several questions to Lamorde to assess his strength and competence. Some of these questions bordered on issues of firming up the anti-graft war; fast-tracking judicial processes to secure more convictions; ridding the EFCC itself of corruption; independence of the EFCC in the face of a possible executive interference and the need for the establishment of a Special Court to try corruption cases.

 
Lamorde had replied that the delay in getting conviction was due to the congestion of cases in the conventional courts.

 
'Dedicated court for corruption cases will help to a large extent in expeditious disposition of corruption cases as corruption has become an issue that affects national life'. He reminded the Senate of the heavy load of work on an average judge in a conventional court and that a Special Court will minimize such overload on judges and make the wheel of justice run more smoothly.

 
While defending the need for improved funding of the EFCC, especially the construction of the headquarters building, the new EFCC boss said the agency was operating from about five rented locations in Abuja.

 
'The completion of the headquarters building will help put our operations under one roof; a development which will discourage movement of files and documents all over the city, provision of security in all the offices can then be concentrated on the headquarters', he explained.

 
The EFCC Chairman also dispelled insinuations by some Senators that the EFCC was being used as an attack dog to settle political scores. According to Lamorde, 'that insinuation is not correct. I acted as Chairman between January and May, 2008, that is a period of five months, I have been acting as chairman since November 23, 2012. Nobody has interfered with our operations. I think it is all a matter of perception', he said.

 
It would be recalled that Mrs. Farida Mzamber Waziri was appointed Executive Chairperson of in May 2008 and succeeded Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

 
She was later removed from her position by President Goodluck Jonathan on November 23, 2011 and replaced by Ibrahim Lamorde as acting chairman.