Uche Usim, Abuja
The Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria (CIFIPN) has concluded plans to build a financial fraud detection academy, which will serve as the institute’s training ground to groom real and budding forensic investigators.
The President of CIFIPN, Mrs Victoria Enape, made the disclosure in Abuja at a dinner and award night organised for members and stakeholders of the institute.
According to her, the site of the institute would be made known once internal arrangements are tidied up.
Enape said the prospective members would be expected to undergo a one-year training and pass mandatory three-stage examinations before they eventually qualify for professional membership.
She revealed that prospective members must be graduates in the relevant fields to qualify for admission into the academy.
She said: “We are waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the CIFIPN bill into law following its passage at the National Assembly. Forensic investigation is an emerging trend; it was not there in the 60s when some of the Acts were established.
“Considering our projection of a pacesetter status of CIFIPN, we are hoping to acquire land that will house a state-of-the-art forensic training centre.
“The purpose of CIFIPN has been called into question while the naysayers have continued to blackmail and even procure the services of other professionals to discourage the government from doing the needful.
“We are more assured like never before that Mr. President will assent to the bill in no distant time; it is on this note that we plead with the President to see the urgency that is required in ensuring that the bill is assented to”.
Enape also disclosed that the institute was working assiduously on establishing a well-equipped forensic laboratory for fraud investigation and analysis, even as she appealed to stakeholders to, as a matter of priority help the institute in that regard.
She added: “This is no mean project; your support is most needed. At the moment, we are gradually running out of enough office space. We urgently need an office accommodation that will befit the status of CIFIPN. We are counting on your unalloyed support.”
“Without any iota of doubt, our most ranked priority at the moment is to see that the CIFIPN bill is assented to by Mr. President.”
The CIFIPN boss also vowed to support Federal Government’s anti-graft war by replying on the expertise of the members.
She said that the anti-fraud organization was saddled with the responsibilities of providing skills for relevant professionals on the use of science and technology or prevention, detection and investigation of fraud, corruption and cyber crimes, and to put in place some sophisticated measures to prevent future occurrence and to stop illicit financial flows in the country.
She said: “The fight against fraud corruption and cyber crimes is real and CIFIPN is ready and prepared to assist Nigerian government towards the realization of that goal.
“It is only corrupt persons in Nigeria that will hate the establishment of anti-fraud body like ClFlPN in Nigeria because they are comfortable in the evil act for so long, while others are languishing in perpetual poverty as a result of empty treasury. All the banks that collapsed in this country were audited by accountants.
“Therefore, the place of forensic and investigative professional in economic development in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized because it provides the legal framework for the registration, training, regulation and certification of practitioners in line with global best practices; Membership of the body cuts across different professions like law, criminology, accounting, Taxyation, investigators, police detectives, security experts, psychology, sociology, cyber security etc”, she explained.