By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
In a move to check economic sabotage in Enugu State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) have sought for stronger collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on intelligence sharing.
The anti-graft’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale who disclosed this in a statement on Monday said, the collaboration was intended to curb economic sabotage including vandalization of electricity infrastructures in Enugu State.
Oyewale said, the discussion was held recently when the Acting Zonal Director of the Enugu Zonal Command of the EFCC, DCE Mohammed Bello visited the Enugu State Commander of the NDLEA, Commander of Narcotics, Peter Ogar in his office.
Speaking during the visit, Ogar lauded the doggedness and professionalism of the Commission in the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes. He called for more support in sharing intelligence in order to combat trading of illegal drugs in the State.
Ogar noted that many hotels in Enugu State are being used by drug barons to transact illegal drug businesses and that his Agency cannot combat the crime without intelligence, adding that the EFCC and the NDLEA can achieve more with mutual intelligence sharing.
“In Enugu here, we are having challenges. The challenge here is the number of hotels in Enugu Town and the activities of some hotels and drug businesses that go on there. With the manpower we have, we cannot cover some of these hotels. Also, Directors of some of these hotels and some drug barons are not even resident here. They come, transact business and go. So please, we want you to help us with intelligence so that by the time we shut down one or two hotels, other people will learn”.
Ogar thereafter pledged total support to the Commission in ridding the state of economic and financial crimes.
In his remarks, Bello said the essence of the visit was to strengthen the existing relationship between the EFCC and the NDLEA. He described the Agency as a “strategic stakeholder in the fight against money laundering “.
“The essence of my visit is to familiarise myself with NDLEA and to strengthen the existing relationship between the EFCC and your Agency. NDLEA is a strategic stakeholder in the fight against corruption, especially money laundering and I want to assure you that you have our unwavering support in helping you succeed in this state”, he said.
In the same vein, Managing Director/CEO of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, Praveen Chorghade also sought assistance from the EFCC in tackling non-payment of electricity bills, theft and vandalization of infrastructures in Enugu State.
Chorghade made this plea when Bello paid him a courtesy visit in his office. He acknowledged the critical roles the Commission is playing in reflating the country’s economy, adding that vandalization of electricity infrastructures is an economic crime that is becoming prevalent in the state.
According to the EEDC boss, the company is faced with several challenges, “ranging from electricity theft, non-payment of electricity bills, stealing of electricity cables, attack on personnel on field duties and vandalization of electricity infrastructure”.
Responding, Bello said the purpose of the visit was to partner with the EEDC in fighting economic sabotage in the state. He stressed the need for “collaboration between us in order to put a stop to this nonsense”. He thereafter assured Chorghade of the Commission’s unalloyed support in tackling non-payment of electricity bills and vandalization of infrastructures in the state.
