The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has decried the sudden rise of fake dollars and cyber crimes in the Benue axis.
Its Acting Chairman, Mr Abdulkarim Chukkol, who disclosed this on Thursday in Makurdi, said that the commission had taken measures to address the situation.
The EFCC chairman spoke during a workshop on “Effective Reporting of Economic and Financial Crimes,” organised for 30 journalists of major media organisations in the country.
Chukkol was represented by the Head of Makurdi Zonal Office of EFCC, Mr Friday Ebelo.
He said the primary aim of the commission was to reduce corruption in the country to barest level, and would continue to discharge its duties effectively and professionally.
“Through the commission’s enforcement activities, recoveries running into several billions of naira have been recorded and the country’s anti-money laundering framework strengthened.
“There is now a more robust regulation of the activities of these entities which are vulnerable to money laundering,” he added.
The EFCC chairman warned people against disclosing their bank details to anybody to avoid its being used for illegal financial deals.
“I will like the media to educate family members, friends, politicians and others that they run the risk of going to jail if they allow their companies or banks accounts to be used to launder proceeds of illegal activities.
“Under the Money Laundering Act, 2022 family members and close allies of politicians and public office holders, including top civil servants, are now classified as Politically Exposed Persons.
“The EFCC is determined to ensure that anyone who steals from public treasury and all those who assist them under whatever guise, are brought to justice, and ignorance of the law will not be an excuse,” he said.
Chukkol said that the commission had recorded 3,785 convictions in 2022, the highest since its establishment.
He said that the Makurdi Zonal Office, which was established in 2019, has so far recorded 107 convictions.
