Dr Abdullahi Shehu

Meet Dr Abdullahi Shehu
—Director General, GIABA/ECOWAS
COMPILED BY WILLIAM BEEKO WITH ADDITIONAL FILES FROM PATRICK BAIDOO

Dr Abdullahi Shehu is the Director General (D-G) of the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering (GIABA), one of the specialised institutions of ECOWAS, established to deepen regional integration and combat money laundering as well as financing terrorism.

He holds a doctorate degree in Anti-Corruption and Money Laundering and a former Director of Training and Research of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Dr Shehu and his outfit works in collaboration with stakeholders, governments, NGOs, CSOs, development partners, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, lawyers and the media for sustained efforts in the fight against money laundering and financing terrorism activities.
Dr Shehu believes that a collective action is necessary to protect the economies of the world against criminal abuse, to enhance the rule of law and at the same time deepen regional integration and maintain peace and security.

In an interview with Today at the Shehu Musa Ya’ra Dua Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria after GIABA’s 2010 world press conference and interactive session with media executives, Dr Shehu had this to say about the scourge of money laundering and terrorism in West Africa:

“West Africa, one of the poorest and least developed regions of the world, is further faced with a daunting challenge due to its vulnerability to transnational organized crime and limited capacity to respond effectively to this threat.

Criminals may exploit this situation to launder the proceeds of crime and it can provide avenues for the financing of terrorism.

Small arms are often obtained from illegal sources and used to perpetrate conflicts in the region, thus adding to the prevailing money laundering predicate offences and seriously hindering the realization of economic and social development objectives.

This also makes the attainment of the objectives of any regional integration program very difficult.
It is the vision of GIABA under my leadership to protect the national economies and the financial and banking systems of signatory states against the proceeds of crime and combat the financing of terrorism; improve measures and intensify efforts to combat the proceeds from crime;
It is our also vision to strengthen cooperation amongst its members; combat the laundering of proceeds from crime and financing of terrorism; ensure harmonised and concerted adoption of appropriate measures to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism; evaluate through self evaluation and mutual evaluation according to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) procedure, progress and the efficacy of measures and encourage any other African States to join GIABA.”
GIABA is a body that was established by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West Africa States [ECOWAS] in December 2000, and officially commenced operations in 2005.

GIABA is responsible for the prevention and control of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in the West African Sub-Region. This is one of the major responses and contributions of the ECOWAS to the fight against money laundering.
GIABA is a specialized institution of ECOWAS that is responsible for the prevention and control of money laundering and terrorist financing in the region.
GIABA is also mandated to improve measures aimed at intensifying efforts to combat the laundering of proceeds of crime in West Africa and among other things strengthen co-operation amongst its members.
Ever since its inception, GIABA under the leadership of Dr Shehu has been at the forefront spearheading crusades and campaigns against money laundering and terrorism financing.
Under Dr Shehu, GIABA has operated as a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) style Regional body (FSRB) as a demonstration of the strong political commitment of ECOWAS member states to combat money laundering and terrorism financing and to cooperate with other concerned nations and international organisations to achieve one goal, a laundering-free and terrorist-free environment in the West African sub-region.
Dr Abdullahi Shehu, GIABA Director General, addressing the press after the 2010 world press conference
INSET: Dr Abdullahi Shehu, delivering his address at the world press conference