The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) has mourned former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away in a London hospital on Sunday, July 13.
In a statement issued on Monday, Iliyasu Gashinbaki, the founder of CIFCFIN and chairman of its governing council, described the late former president as a man whose integrity and dedication to accountability profoundly shaped Nigeria’s forensic and fraud investigation landscape.
Gashinbaki also described Buhari as the “grandpa of forensics in Nigeria,” noting that the late former president earned the title by his decisive actions.
“We join the family, the people of Katsina State, the nation, and the entire African anti-corruption community in celebrating the life of the former president,” the statement reads.
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He recalled a historic meeting on May 22, 2022, when the CIFCFIN governing council visited the State House in Abuja and presented Buhari with the institute’s global integrity and anti-corruption award of excellence.
According to him, the award is reserved exclusively for African heads of state, adding that during the visit, the late Buhari pledged his support for the establishment of CIFCFIN.
“True to his reputation as a man of unwavering integrity, on 23rd December 2022, he granted Presidential Assent to the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022, landmark legislation that stands as the most consequential advancement in forensic and fraud investigation since the Audit Ordinance of 1956,” he added.
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Gashinbaki said CIFCFIN remains the only forensic professional body in Nigeria chartered by statute, with a multidisciplinary and multisectoral mandate to promote forensic and fraud investigation practices nationwide.
He commended Buhari’s foresight in signing the Act, which, according to him, revolutionised Nigeria’s capacity to combat fraud, cybercrime, economic crimes, and financial malfeasance through cutting-edge forensic science and professional fraud examination.
“In recognition of his exceptional contributions, the Governing Council of CIFCFIN inducted him into the Institute’s Hall of Fame during the 2024 Founders’ Day Celebration, cementing his legacy as a pillar of accountability and ethical leadership,” he said.
The founder said the institute’s responsibilities include establishing forensic laboratories, providing professional training, and regulating the practice of forensics and fraud investigation.
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Gashinbaki maintained that Buhari’s unwavering belief in the power of forensic science to strengthen transparency and justice in Nigeria has left an enduring legacy, adding that his passing is not just a loss to Nigeria but to the entire global anti-corruption community.
