EFCC unveils whistleblowing App

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, unveiled an electronic Mobile Application to report economic crimes in Nigeria.

The Executive Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, however, said the EFFC would deal with whistleblowers who use the app to malign anybody in the society.

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He stated this in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists shortly after launching the App named: ‘Eagle Eye’.

He urged Nigerians not to hesitate in exposing corrupt people, especially those who are laundering commonwealth via real estate.

“Like you can see, anybody that is malicious, that has malicious intent while using the App will be dealt with, in accordance with the law.

“We understand that there is a lot of secrecy there, you can report something without necessarily mentioning your name,” he said.

Bawa, who described the App, being the first of its kind by any law enforcement agency in Nigeria, as a product of ingenuity by a staff of the Commission.

He said the application was conceived, designed and developed by the EFCC, adding that it would ease the process of reporting economic and financial crimes.

According to him, the initiative is a clear demonstration of his pledge on the assumption of office, to run an agency that is technology-driven.

He added, “The Eagle Eye represents a new experience in information sharing and crime reporting between the public and the EFCC.”

The EFCC boss explained that apart from complementing the existing channels for reporting economic crimes, the unique advantage of this application, the EFCC Chairman further explained, is that it eliminates direct person-to-person interface in the reporting process and guarantees anonymity which is an added incentive to effective whistleblowing.

While appealing to members of the public to take advantage of the App in bringing cases of corruption and economic crimes to the knowledge of the EFCC, Bawa said, “with the App, those who hitherto were afraid to report corruption cases to the Commission either for fear of being identified by the culprits or having their identities revealed, can now do so with the assurance of full anonymity”.