The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has opened a new Chemical Forensics Laboratory in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, designed to enhance the precision and effectiveness of investigations through advanced technology.
The event took place at the EFCC’s Zonal Directorate, with EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede presiding. Olukoyede acknowledged the support of the MacArthur Foundation in establishing the “state-of-the-art” facility, noting that it would strengthen the EFCC’s capacity to lead forensic analysis, especially in tackling oil-related crimes like bunkering and adulteration.
“This new facility will allow the commission to independently conduct rigorous testing of petroleum products,” Olukoyede stated, adding that the EFCC previously had to depend on agencies like the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources, which often resulted in delays in critical investigations.
“In the past, our investigations relied heavily on external agencies, including the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources for analysis of petroleum and crude samples. This dependency often meant a delay in critical investigations,” he explained.
Olukoyede highlighted the nearly two-year journey to bring the laboratory to completion, calling it a significant milestone for the EFCC and a national asset in combating complex economic crimes within Nigeria’s oil sector.
The ceremony’s high point was the official commissioning and tour of the facility by Olukoyede, joined by notable guests, including the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, representatives of the Commissioner of Police, the Army, the Navy, and the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refinery, among others.
