Abdulkarim Chukkol, formerly the Director of Operation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has assumed office as the acting chairman of the agency.

His appointment came in the wake of the suspension of ex-Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.

Chukkol, a pioneer staff member and a member of the EFCC Cadet Course One, is an experienced investigator with a speciality in cybercrime and money laundering.

He was at various times Head, Advance Fee Fraud and Cybercrime sections of Lagos and Abuja zonal commands, respectively (2011–2016), Pioneer Commander, Uyo Zonal Command (2017), and Commander, Port Harcourt Zonal Command (2020).

Chukkol has participated in special operations with international law enforcement organisations and has close relationships with prominent law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), UK National Crime Agency, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, Australian Federal Police, Dutch Police, German Police, and South African Police, among others.

Chukkol is Nigeria’s contact person at the International Mass Marketing Fraud Working Group, representing law enforcement, immigration and customs, financial intelligence, and consumer protection agencies on issues involving Spain, Nigeria, Belgium, Europol, Canada, the UK, and the US.

The acting EFCC Chairman has attended several courses, seminars, and workshops on corruption, advance fee fraud, and financial crimes, including at Oxford University, UK.

Chukkol has received awards and commendations, including EFCC’s Most Outstanding Award in Operations and Outstanding Performance Award by the United States Department of Justice, among others.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Maiduguri (2000), a postgraduate certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia, and a diploma in Cybersecurity and Spectrum Management from the Telecommunication Training Institute in Washington, D.C.

Chukkol is an alumnus of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, the European Centre of Security Studies, Germany, and a Fellow of the War College, Nigeria.