CIFCFIN tasks practitioners on integrity

By Olakunle Olafioye

The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN), has urged forensic practitioners, in the spirit of Christmas, to serve as the propelling force for truth, justice and restoration of integrity in Nigeria.

Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, founder and chairman, Governing Council of the institute, made the appeal in a Christmas message to members of the institute, urging them to recommit themselves to professionalism and ethical practices.

A statement by CIFCFIN boss in commemoration of this year’s Christmas read in part:“Forensic practitioners should recommit to being the unflinching authenticators in the face of forgery; the guardians of due process against clandestine alterations and the followers of the digital and financial trail to expose complex frauds.”

He appealed that the same commitment that guides forensic practitioners to scrutinise a fingerprint, authenticate a document, trace a digital footprint, or unravel a financial labyrinth, is exactly what Nigeria desperately needs at a time like this.

“We witness the shadow of certificate forgery obscuring the foundations of merit and integrity in our public institutions. We see the unsettling alleged alteration of duly passed laws before gazetting, a manipulation that strikes at the heart of our democracy and the rule of law. We confront sophisticated contract frauds that drain our commonwealth and erode public trust.  Yet, it is precisely into this landscape that our expertise is not just relevant, but critical,” he said.

The CIFCFIN founder also reminded forensic professionals of the high expectations from Nigerians, saying, “we are entrusted with the meticulous pursuit of factual reality. In our labs, field investigations, and courtrooms, we strive for a similar ideal: evidence made clear, deception made plain, fraud made evident. Our tools – from digital forensics to questioned document examination, forensic accounting to crime scene reconstruction – are more than technical instruments; they are modern-day proclamations of a timeless principle: the truth shall set you free.”