By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has warned compliance officers in banks nationwide to desist from disclosing the Commission’s investigation activities and requests to customers.
This warning was disclosed in a post shared on X by the Anti-Graft Agency, on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Mr. Olukoyede noted that the EFCC was aware that Compliance Officers often disclose information to their clients about letters of investigation activities sent to banks by the EFCC, which typically compromises financial crime investigations and delays the filing of corruption cases in court.
The post partly reads: “The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has called on Compliance Officers of Banks across the country to desist from unauthorized disclosure of EFCC’s investigation activities and request from banks to their customers.
“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, adding that, the act usually jeopardizes 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 processes of investigation to a logical conclusion. Furthermore, he stated that illegal dealings and trading in naira with the Point-of-sale (POS) operators must stop.”
