Financial Crimes: We’re Focusing Searchlight On Bankers — Bawa

*Laments escalation of cybercrime in the country
*Says 300 cyber criminals arrested in the last one month

In its renewed poise to clamp down on financial crimes in the
country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said
it is to focusing its spotlight on the activities of bankers from
June 1, 2021.

Disclosing this to State House Correspondents after a meeting
with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office at the Aso Rock,
Abuja, Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the Commission
would be making a demand for transparency on bankers.

According to him, from the said date, bankers would be required
to obey extant laws by declaring their assets, explaining that this
focus on bankers is aimed at achieving financial sanity and also to
be able to track illicitly acquired funds.

He said plans of the new EFCC under his watch had been reviewed
thoroughly and that President Buhari had shown satisfaction in the
plans and laid out plans of action of the Commission.

“We reviewed a lot little things that we want to do towards
eradication of financial crimes in Nigeria. As you are aware, I was
here about two weeks ago before my taking over.

“He (Buhari) is happy with what he has heard so far with the
reforms we are working on with the new EFCC going forward, in terms
of the way we investigate, prosecute and the way we are generally
executing our mandate.

“My assurance to Nigerians, going forward, is that we are going
to do our best to ensure that this country is free of financial
crimes. Let me just put this, we understood that the tail end of
every financial crime is for the criminal to have access to the
funds that he or she has illegitimately gotten.

“We’re worried about the roles of financial institutions. We
have discussed, but we hope that all financial institutions,
particularly the bankers, will declare their assets as provided for
by the law, in accordance with the Bank, Employees Declaration of
Asset Act.

“The EFCC, come the 1st of June 2021, will be demanding for this
asset declaration forms, filled by the bankers so that the line
that we have drawn from the first of June is really complied with
by bankers in particular,” he said.

Expressing worries over the escalation of cybercrime in the
country, especially among young Nigerians, Bawa appealed to those
currently engaging in it to desist, noting that it is giving
Nigeria the wrong image among other nations of the world.

Describing it as a huge problem that the country is grappling
with, the EFCC boss disclosed that around 300 suspected cyber
criminals had been arrested in the last one month in different
parts of the country.

“Well, the issue of cybercrime is a huge problem for this
country. In the last one month, we have arrested about 300 cyber
criminals across the country and it was reported in the media. It
is something that I am particularly worried about.

“As a young man, I am appealing to all young Nigerians to desist
from these cybercrime activities. It is bringing bad image to our
country, it is giving bad name to our country, it is also chasing
away a lot of foreign investment that we need and I call on all
parents, guardians, and, of course, elders in the community, in the
society to be able to talk to these young people to desist from
these crimes.

“These are crimes that they commit online. And of course, there
is nothing like patting your back to say go and sin no more. Our
laws do not provide for that. It is a crime and as we say in EFCC,
EFCC will get you anywhere, anytime,” he said.

*Laments escalation of cybercrime in the country
*Says 300 cyber criminals arrested in the last one month

In its renewed poise to clamp down on financial crimes in the
country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said
it is to focusing its spotlight on the activities of bankers from
June 1, 2021.

Disclosing this to State House Correspondents after a meeting
with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office at the Aso Rock,
Abuja, Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the Commission
would be making a demand for transparency on bankers.

According to him, from the said date, bankers would be required
to obey extant laws by declaring their assets, explaining that this
focus on bankers is aimed at achieving financial sanity and also to
be able to track illicitly acquired funds.

He said plans of the new EFCC under his watch had been reviewed
thoroughly and that President Buhari had shown satisfaction in the
plans and laid out plans of action of the Commission.

“We reviewed a lot little things that we want to do towards
eradication of financial crimes in Nigeria. As you are aware, I was
here about two weeks ago before my taking over.

“He (Buhari) is happy with what he has heard so far with the
reforms we are working on with the new EFCC going forward, in terms
of the way we investigate, prosecute and the way we are generally
executing our mandate.

“My assurance to Nigerians, going forward, is that we are going
to do our best to ensure that this country is free of financial
crimes. Let me just put this, we understood that the tail end of
every financial crime is for the criminal to have access to the
funds that he or she has illegitimately gotten.

“We’re worried about the roles of financial institutions. We
have discussed, but we hope that all financial institutions,
particularly the bankers, will declare their assets as provided for
by the law, in accordance with the Bank, Employees Declaration of
Asset Act.

“The EFCC, come the 1st of June 2021, will be demanding for this
asset declaration forms, filled by the bankers so that the line
that we have drawn from the first of June is really complied with
by bankers in particular,” he said.

Expressing worries over the escalation of cybercrime in the
country, especially among young Nigerians, Bawa appealed to those
currently engaging in it to desist, noting that it is giving
Nigeria the wrong image among other nations of the world.

Describing it as a huge problem that the country is grappling
with, the EFCC boss disclosed that around 300 suspected cyber
criminals had been arrested in the last one month in different
parts of the country.

“Well, the issue of cybercrime is a huge problem for this
country. In the last one month, we have arrested about 300 cyber
criminals across the country and it was reported in the media. It
is something that I am particularly worried about.

“As a young man, I am appealing to all young Nigerians to desist
from these cybercrime activities. It is bringing bad image to our
country, it is giving bad name to our country, it is also chasing
away a lot of foreign investment that we need and I call on all
parents, guardians, and, of course, elders in the community, in the
society to be able to talk to these young people to desist from
these crimes.

“These are crimes that they commit online. And of course, there
is nothing like patting your back to say go and sin no more. Our
laws do not provide for that. It is a crime and as we say in EFCC,
EFCC will get you anywhere, anytime,” he said.