EFCC shifts from enforcement to crime prevention, seeks media support
By Moses Omorogieva
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its focus is shifting from enforcement to crime prevention.
The spokesman for EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujiaren, said this in Lagos on Thursday, during a workshop for some journalists on Financial Crimes Reporting.
He said that the essence of the workshop was to enable journalists covering the commission to key into the fight against economic and financial crimes and to update them of the commission’s activities.
Uwujiaren, who represented the acting Executive Chairman, Mr Abdulkarim Chukkol, said that, in preventing financial and economic crimes, the media was a critical partner.
“We believe that the media is critical in the fight against financial crimes, that is why we are here today to share knowledge and see how the media can help us, in preventing financial crimes, especially money laundering,” he said.
The spokesman recalled a time when they visited certain parts of the country and found it difficult to get hotel rooms.
He said they were told that this was because many rooms had been taken over by internet fraudsters popularly called “Yahoo boys”, urging journalists to help in investigating and uncovering such happenings.
“This is an issue bordering on financial crimes and the fight is not meant for the EFCC alone, the media has to complement the commission,” he said.
The image maker advised members of the public to always fill forms while lodging in hotels, urging them to avoid falling victim to fraudsters,
According to Uwujiaren, hotel proprietors also have it as an obligation under the Money Laundering Act to report to the commission the activities of guests they suspect to be fraudsters.
He said members of the public must also report to EFCC any singular transaction from N5 million cash and above, as for individuals, and N10 million cash for organisations, stressing that failure to do so was criminal.
The spokesman said that the commission was expecting financial transaction reports always from designated non-financial businesses and professions, which include Casinos, car dealers, legal consultants and consulting companies.
He also listed dealers in machineries, precious stones, mechanised farming equipment, pool betting, mortgage brokers amongst others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 25 journalists drawn from the print, broadcast and online media organiations participated in the workshop.
Three papers were presented on “Understanding the new money laundering laws in relation to designated non-financial business and profession”, “Investigative journalism and fight against money laundering”, and “New trends in cybercrime: how not to become a victim”. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Benson Iziama/Oluwole Sogunle
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