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 volumes 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 was 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. We got report that politicians are moving money in large volumes around.
“That is why we had a 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.
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“Development in any nation rests upon solid democratic foundation. There can be no development without peace and there can be no peace if the democratic system is compromised. We cannot develop when the country is under serious unrest. We are poised in EFCC to see to it that the nation’s democracy succeeds.
“We have told the bankers the evils of compromising the system in connivance with politicians. The limits of transaction according to money laundering act is that as an individual, you cannot withdraw more than N5 million and N10million for corporate organisation in one day.
“Anyone who works in contravention to the rules would face the penalty. What we did was just to remind them that the law still stands and we will make sure the laws and the rules and procedures are followed to the latter,” Babalola stated.