Farida Mzamber Waziri was born on 7 July 1949 and is a Nigerian technocrat, law enforcement officer and former executive chairperson of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
18 Facts About Farida Waziri
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Farida Waziri obtained a law degree from the University of Lagos and obtained a master's degree in Law from the Lagos State University.
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Farida Waziri is the author of Advance Fee Fraud, National Security and the Law.
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Farida Waziri enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force in 1965 and rose to the position of Assistant Inspector General of Police.
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Farida Waziri served as Commissioner of Police in which role she recorded the first conviction for Advance Fee Fraud in Nigeria.
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Farida Waziri led the West African delegation on Advance Fee Fraud to Lyons, France in 1996.
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Farida Waziri led the Nigeria delegation to Dallas, Texas for a seminar organised by the United States Secret Service in 1998.
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Farida Waziri was married to Senator Ajuji Waziri, a former Ambassador to Turkey who passed on in 2017.
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Farida Waziri was confirmed by President Umaru Yar'Adua as EFCC chairman in May 2008, but refused to accept the position until she had been confirmed by the Senate.
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Shortly after her appointment, Farida Waziri inspected the EFCC detention facilities to ascertain the conditions of suspects.
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In September 2008 Farida Waziri said that allegations of corruption by former president Olusegun Obasanjo and some former state governors could not be supported because the files did not exist or they had disappeared.
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Farida Waziri said the President had approved the return to the Nigeria Police Force of insurance benefits that were part of the N17 billion recovered from the former Inspector General of Police Mustafa Adebayo Balogun, although Alhaji Tafa Balogun was seeking the return of these assets.
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Farida Waziri said were 200 pending cases for corruption, money laundering, fraud, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
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In June 2009, speaking at a press conference to mark her first year in office, Farida Waziri said the EFCC was continuing its efforts to prosecute former governors including Dr Peter Odili of Rivers State, Senator Bola Tinubu of Lagos State, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, Saminu Turaki of Jigawa State, Jolly Nyame of Taraba State and Michael Botmang of Plateau State.
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Farida Waziri expressed frustration at court delays in these cases.
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Farida Waziri said she would start to crack down on property ownership cases in Abuja.
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In May 2009 there were reports of a power struggle with EFCC Director of Operations, Mr Tunde Ogunshaki, who had been sacked by Farida Waziri, apparently involving James Ibori, the Nigerian Attorney General, Mike Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Mbama Okiro.
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Farida Waziri was removed from her position by President Goodluck Jonathan on 23 November 2011 and on 28 November 2011 was replaced by Ibrahim Lamorde as acting chairman.