EFCC Issues Fresh Directives To Banks On Ongoing Investigations

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a stern warning to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and compliance officers across the country to desist from unauthorized disclosure of EFCC’s investigation activities and request from banks to their customers.

Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the commission issued the warning while speaking with compliance officers of banks in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

Represented by the Acting Zonal Director of the Ibadan Zonal Command of EFCC, ACE I Hauwa Garba Ringim, Olukoyede said that the commission is aware that some compliance officers are giving some information to customers.

He decried the unhealthy support fraudsters receive from the banking sector in Nigeria, adding that such an act is posing considerable challenges and concerns to the commission.

According to him, the EFCC is aware of the fact that compliance officers give information to their clients regarding ‘letters of investigation activities’ written to the banks from the EFCC.

He insisted that such attempts usually jeopardise the investigation exercise of financial crimes and delay corruption cases from being filed before the law court.

He decried the unhealthy support fraudsters receive from the banking sector in Nigeria, stressing that it is posing considerable challenges and concerns to the Commission.

The EFCC’s boss also urged them to always respond to letters received from the Commission with certified true copies, including instruments of transactions of beneficiaries or sources, as this will expedite the process of investigation to a logical conclusion.

Olukoyede, while speaking further, maintained that that illegal dealings and trading in naira with the Point-of-sale (POS) operators must stop.

“What we notice and see around lately is that Nigerians can only withdraw a small amount of their money with the banks in Automated Teller Machine (ATMs) but POS operators evidently go around with huge amounts of money gotten from the banks.

“This is not fair to Nigerians and we must fight it head-on.”