Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged bankers and bureau de change operators in Benue State to immediately report any suspicious transactions of large volume of money, especially within the electioneering period.
EFCC’s Zonal Head, Makurdi Zonal Office, Johnson Babalola, who gave the charge in his office during a meeting with bankers and bureau de change operators on Thursday evening said the Commission got intelligence report that politicians were moving large volumes of money for vote-buying.
Babalola, while stressing the need for Nigerians to get the democratic system right, said the Commission would not hesitate to go after any bank or bureau de change agent who compromises the order.
The EFCC zonal boss noted that a team from the commission’s headquarters in Abuja is already in Benue to monitor bank transactions, as well as other financial transactions including those who are burying dollars in their compounds.
“For now, don’t accept huge sums of cash from anyone. We are in electioneering period and there are rules that must be followed if we want the democratic process to succeed,” he said. “We got report that politicians are moving money in large volumes around. That is why we had meeting with bureau de change operators and bankers and told them the consequences of not obeying the law. If anyone is moving large sums of money with the aim of aiding and abetting vote-buying, we will not allow that.