Afimag.com –
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has in separate operations in Zone 4 and Dei Dei areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, apprehended members of a conglomerate of currency racketeers storing up and trading the redesigned Naira notes on January 28 and 30, 2023.
The Public Relations Officer of the anti graft-agency, Wilson Uwujaren, said the commission swung into action after intelligence on activities of crooked currency gamblers, who were exploiting helpless citizens by offering them the new Naira notes for foreign currencies at below the going rate.
He noted that the suspects have made valuable statements, including exposure of where they were acting in cohort with some corrupt officials of money deposit banks.
According to Uwujaren, EFCC will extend the operation to all the major commercial centres of the country until all the syndicates involved in the illegal trade were demobilised.
While warning the financial system operators to desist from the sharp practices or risk arrest and prosecution, Uwujaren said zonal commanders of the EFCC also met with officials of various banks in their commands in an effort to ascertain the volume of the new notes issued to the commercial banks and how the banks were dispensing the monies to their customers.
He, however, urged the financial market operators to ensure compliance with the guidelines set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), while disclosing that they have dispatched operatives across their commands to monitor the level of compliance by banks and other operators in the financial market.
