TheCable

Abdulkarim Chukkol, the director of operations at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has assumed duty as the acting chairman of the anti-graft agency.

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu suspended Abdulrasheed Bawa as EFCC chairman and ordered a probe into his activities while in office.

The suspension was announced in a statement by Willie Bassey, director of information, office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

Bawa was subsequently invited and grilled by the Department of State Security (DSS) over issues that “relate to some investigative activities concerning him.”

In a statement on Thursday, the commission said Chukkol is one of its pioneer staff.

“Following Tuesday suspension of Abdulrasheed Bawa as executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by the federal government, Abdulkarim Chukkol has stepped in as acting chairman of the commission,” the EFCC said.

“A pioneer staff of the commission and an illustrious member of the EFCC Cadet Course One, Chukkol is a consummate and vastly experienced investigator with specialty in cybercrime and money laundering.”

ALUMNUS OF FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY, QUANTICO 

His command appointments in the commission include spells as head of the Advance Fee Fraud and Cybercrime Sections of the Lagos and Abuja Zonal Commands between 2011 -2016, pioneer commander of the Uyo Zonal Command in 2017 and commander of Port Harcourt Zonal Command in 2020.

Chukkol has participated in several special operations with international law enforcement organisations and maintains close relationship with Law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, UK National Crime Agency, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Secret Service, Australian Federal Police, Dutch Police, German Police, South African Police etc.

The acting EFCC boss has worked closely with other governments to develop law and infrastructure for carrying out law enforcement actions. He is Nigeria’s contact person at the International Mass Marketing Fraud Working Group representing key government regulatory, law enforcement, prosecution, immigration and customs, financial intelligence, consumer protection agencies as well and trade and competition bureaus dealing with mass marketing-related issues from Spain, Nigeria, Belgium, Europol, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.

He has attended several courses, seminars and workshops on Public Corruption, Advance Fee Fraud and other economic and financial crimes both locally and internationally, including the Oxford University, United Kingdom, in 2022.

His work and initiatives over the years have earned him several awards and commendations both locally and internationally, including “the Most Outstanding Award in Operations” by the EFCC and the “Outstanding Performance Award” by the United States Department of Justice, among others.

The acting EFCC Chairman, holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Maiduguri (2000) and Post Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia, United States as well as Graduate Diploma in Cybersecurity and Spectrum Management from the United States Telecommunication Training Institute, Washington DC, United States.

He is also an alumnus of the FBI National Academy, Quantico; European Center of Security Studies, Germany and a Fellow of the War College, Nigeria.