The Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has advised Nigerians living outside the country to desist from cybercrimes so as not to further tarnish the image of the country.

Mr Bawa, who spoke with journalists in New York, said that Business Email Compromise (BEC) and wire frauds committed by few Nigerians were tarnishing the image of the country.

The EFCC boss appealed to Nigerians in the diaspora to also be patriotic and work for the interest and unity of the country.

“Some of our brothers and sisters involved in cybercrimes are terribly tarnishing our image back home.

“They (diasporas) should talk to one another to desist from doing that,” he said.

The EFCC chairman said Nigerians in the diaspora were carrying the country’s flag overseas and should continue to work for the betterment of their host country and their home country.

“We are doing our best. They should learn to respect their leaders, have trust in the leadership and pray for them to succeed.

“Nigeria is changing in all ramifications. Democracy can’t come easily and we are trying to improve on it,” he pleaded.

The EFCC boss said the commission was strengthening its partnership with the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on combating corruption.

The EFCC and FBI have been involved in joint field operations against cybercriminals in Nigeria and in the U.S., which has yielded significant dividends.

Mr Bawa said the FBI has been the biggest EFCC partner and the bureau had trained some of the commission’s officers in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the FBI has described the EFCC as one of its “foreign colleagues abroad” and expressed appreciation for its “commitment to working together.”

The Bureau had also commended EFCC for offering assistance to it in the investigation and prosecution of six Nigerians involved in Business Email Compromise (BEC) and wire fraud in the U.S.