The United States Consulate in Lagos and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have praised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its commitment to tackling sextortion, cybercrime, and other transnational financial crimes.
The commendation was made on Monday, July 6, 2026, when a delegation from the US Consulate and the FBI Cyber Division visited the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC in Ikoyi, Lagos, for a strategic engagement with the Commission’s Acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo.
Leading the delegation, Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the US Consulate, SSA James Smith, said the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing partnership between both countries, particularly through improved intelligence sharing and faster exchange of investigative information.
Smith noted that closer cooperation between the agencies would enhance efforts to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in sextortion, cyber-related offences, and other crimes with international links.
Also speaking, SSA Thomas Pepper of the FBI Cyber Division commended the EFCC for its existing cooperation with American authorities, stressing the need to improve the speed and efficiency of information exchange between both agencies.
Pepper described sextortion as a growing priority issue in the United States and proposed the creation of a joint operational team to support intelligence gathering, case coordination, and timely responses to reported incidents.
He added that the FBI was working to obtain additional identifiers that would assist EFCC investigations and help track suspected offenders.
Responding, Kaltungo assured the delegation of the EFCC’s continued commitment to international partnerships, noting that collaboration with global law enforcement agencies remained crucial in combating sophisticated financial crimes.
He, however, appealed for increased access to tracking tools and investigative support to enable the Commission to identify and apprehend suspects more efficiently.
The Head of Investigations at the EFCC, ACE II Moses Oguzi, also acknowledged the long standing relationship between the Commission and the US government, while requesting a clear framework for the proposed joint operation.
He further sought clarification on the scope of the partnership, including whether it would cover only computer related fraud or extend to other financial crimes such as visa fraud.
The US delegation assured the EFCC that relevant information would be provided in a targeted manner to support investigations without overwhelming the Commission with unnecessary data.
