The International Police Organisation (Interpol) has uncovered that hundreds of thousands of dollars are laundered out of Nigeria every hour. This revelation was made by Garba Umar, Interpol Vice President for Africa, during the opening of a four-day training workshop for Nigerian law enforcement agencies at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Academy in Abuja.

Umar highlighted that money laundering has become a significant issue across Africa and the world, prompting Interpol to introduce Silver Notices to combat this menace. He stated, “Evidence has shown that every hour, hundreds of thousands of dollars are flowing out of Nigeria to the region and across the world, laundered before it reaches the pockets of criminals to enjoy the profits of their crimes, while the hardworking and honest Nigerians pay the price of crime.” Umar added that successful laundering of criminal money increases the country's vulnerability to various crimes, including drugs, fraud, corruption, and violence, while harming financial institutions.

Umar emphasized that Interpol's Silver Notices would make it harder for criminals to launder money globally. Speaking on the workshop’s theme, "Strengthening Capacity and Coordination against Financial Crimes," he noted that financial crimes have become transnational, requiring regular training for law enforcement to stay ahead of fraudsters. He urged workshop participants to discuss transnational crimes, identify solutions, and enhance policing capabilities to support Nigeria and improve law enforcement collaboration nationwide.

He said, “This Workshop will allow us to re-examine the challenges of fighting transnational crimes in the country, reassess our strategies, and reaffirm our determination and unity as a country to provide security to our citizens and by extension the global community.” Umar encouraged participants to prioritize collaboration with other agencies to advance investigations and prevent criminals from benefiting from their activities.
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