EFCC Trains Officers on Insurance Fraud Investigation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has concluded a three-day training course on insurance-related fraud prevention, detection and investigation for its senior officers at the EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate, Rivers State.

The training, held between November 24 and 26, 2025, underscores the Commission’s proactive approach to tackling emerging financial crime and strengthening the integrity of Nigeria’s insurance sector.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, the Port Harcourt Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Hassan Saidu, emphasized the importance of continuous capacity building, stressing that it was imperative for operatives to stay ahead of criminals.

“This program is designed to equip you with the latest tools and knowledge required to effectively dismantle the complex schemes employed by perpetrators, demanding that our investigative methods remain sharp, contemporary, and specialized”.

The training was strategically organized to equip the operatives with specialized knowledge to identify, investigate, and successfully prosecute complex fraud schemes threatening the insurance industry. A key highlight of the program was the insightful session delivered by Prof. Prince Mike Akipolati, who led the discussion on critical subject matters.

Akipolati specifically addressed the practices of insurance in Nigeria, providing a deep insight into various insurance products and the structure of premiums within the market. Crucially, his session focused extensively on fraud prevention in Nigeria within the insurance sector, and detailed the connection between the industry and related financial crimes, specifically Money Laundering (ML), Terrorism Financing (TF), and Proliferation Financing (PF). He provided practical methodologies for their detection and prevention.

He said the knowledge imparted during the training will significantly enhance the officer’s ability to conduct thorough investigations, resulting in stronger case file preparation and higher conviction rates.

In her lecture, ACE II Sophia Agbo spoke on the legal and regulatory frameworks for insurance fraud prevention, with emphasis on the role of NIIRA. Her presentation covered statutory and regulatory provisions governing insurance operations and fraud prevention, the role of NIIRA in fraud reporting, intelligence sharing, and industry-wide collaboration, as well as the legal standards for gathering admissible evidence in insurance fraud cases. She also discussed principles of insurance evidence analysis, including documentation review, digital evidence handling, and chain of custody, and explained procedures for preparing cases for prosecution through effective collaboration with law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities.

Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, CSE Stephanie Fitswemila Philip facilitated an in‑depth session on common insurance fraud schemes and detection techniques. She highlighted various types of insurance fraud such as staged accidents, false claims, inflated losses, forged documents, identity fraud, and multiple claims. She also explained key red flags and early warning indicators used in identifying fraudulent claims and demonstrated practical detection techniques including document verification, data matching, interviews, and surveillance methods. In addition, she walked participants through the insurance fraud investigation process, from case referral and planning to evidence collection, reporting, and case closure.

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“Fraud always leaves a trail. The investigator’s duty is to recognize the red flags early and follow the evidence with professionalism from the first report to the final prosecution.”

Also, ACE II Stephen Onwochie delivered a detailed lecture on strengthening internal controls and compliance as critical tools for fraud prevention. His session focused on the importance of strong internal control systems in reducing fraud risks, key control mechanisms such as segregation of duties, authorization limits, and audit trails, and the use of risk assessment frameworks to identify operational and fraud vulnerabilities. He also emphasized the role of compliance monitoring, internal audits, and continuous improvement processes, as well as the importance of building an ethical organizational culture and strengthening staff accountability.

“Effective fraud prevention begins from within. When internal controls are strong and staff are held accountable, opportunities for fraud are reduced and public confidence is strengthened.”

In his closing remarks, the Chairman congratulated all the participants and urged them to put into use the knowledge and skills gained from the training. “We are confident that the knowledge and specialized skills acquired here will significantly bolster our collective capacity to combat sophisticated financial crimes in the insurance sector, we urge you to immediately translate this learning into action”, he said.

Overall, the training significantly improved participants’ understanding of legal and regulatory requirements for insurance fraud prevention, enhanced their capacity to detect and investigate fraud cases, increased awareness of proper evidence handling and prosecution readiness, and strengthened their knowledge of internal control systems and compliance best practices. The facilitators delivered highly practical and relevant content that equipped participants with essential legal, technical, and operational skills necessary to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to insurance fraud. Continued capacity-building initiatives are recommended to sustain and deepen these competencies across the industry.