FIRS Wants EFCC Backing to Track, Prosecute Tax Evaders, Others

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Zacch Adedeji, has asked his counterpart in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, to support his agency to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, who appointed both of them.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the anti-money laundering firm, Mr Adedeji said the EFCC has a role in ensuring that taxpayers’ funds are “judiciously utilised in line with the social contract with the people.”

He assured that the FIRS would continue to strive to raise the revenue needed to fund the operations of the government of the federation.

The FIRS chief acknowledged the critical roles of FIRS and EFCC in ensuring fiscal stability and combating financial crimes in Nigeria and the need to sustain this laudable synergy and, where necessary, expand the scope and intensity.

“As the global community grapples with local and transnational illicit financial flows facilitated by disruptive technological innovation, the importance of collaboration has become even more pertinent.

“The FIRS will need the continued support of the EFCC in helping to track and report on local and trans-border financial transactions of companies, multinationals and high-net-worth individuals to assist in our compliance, enforcement and prosecution of tax evaders.

“In order to track these financial transactions, the service leverages third-party data, information and intelligence from sister agencies such as the EFCC.

“We kindly solicit the support of the EFCC in data sharing to enhance our intelligence gathering and investigation,” Mr Adedeji said during the visit.

He acknowledged the pedigree of Mr Olukoyede as an erudite lawyer, seasoned public administrator, and anti-corruption czar which testifies to his ability to lead the fight against economic crimes in Nigeria frontally.

In his remarks, the EFCC chief congratulated him on his appointment, thanking him for the visit and wishing him a successful tenure at the helms of the affairs of the apex tax authority in Nigeria.

He stressed the importance of maintaining a strong symbiotic relationship between both agencies and the review of existing Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs).