The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede on Thursday, May 9, 2024 called on Nigerian journalists, hotel owners and bank compliance officers to discharge their duties with more vigilance and utmost professionalism.
Addressing journalists during a courtesy visit to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Benin City, Olukoyede stated that the importance of the media in the fight against graft cannot be over emphasised given the role of the media in informing and educating the people and setting agenda for the public.
The EFCC boss who was represented by the Acting Zonal Director, ACE I Effa I. Okim thanked journalists for their support to the Commission over the years in its efforts to eradicate corruption, economic and financial crimes in the country.
“The essence of the visit is to appreciate your efforts and to solicit for more cooperation and collaboration. We must come together to stop corruption. I want you to be available. The time has come for us to take up the gauntlet to fight corruption. Let’s deepen our reportage on corruption that has eaten into every fabric of our society,” he said.
The NUJ chairman in the state, Festus Alenkhe commended the Acting Zonal Director of EFCC for the visit and urged the union members to join hands with the Commission in the fight against graft by exposing acts and cases of corruption.
In an earlier engagement with executives of Hotel Owners Association in Edo and Delta State, held in Benin City, Olukoyede who spoke through Okim, urged the hotel owners to take responsibility and ensure that their hotels do not become hiding places for internet fraudsters and other criminal elements in the society.
“We need you to collectively fight Yahoo Yahoo. They are a menace to our society. Drive them away from your hotels. Don’t allow them to use your hotels to defraud innocent people.” He warned that going forward the Commission may prosecute owners of properties used to perpetuate crimes as stipulated in the Advance Fee Fraud Act.
In a related development, Olukoyede on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 had an interaction with compliance officers of banks where he charged them to adhere strictly to banking ethics and regulations in the discharge of duties. Speaking through Okim, the EFCC boss noted that banks were crucial in the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes.
According to him, “Most economic and financial crimes are committed through banks and so the cooperation of bankers is key to the fight as money laundering and other financial crimes are committed through the banks. We invited you here today to nourish our existing relationship and seek areas of further collaboration as stakeholders in the fight against economic and financial crimes in Nigeria. We advise that, as bankers you carry out due diligence and know your customers KYC. By doing this, you save yourselves from trouble and make our job easier”, he said.
