Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, says the number of state governors being monitored by the anti-graft agency for money laundering suspicion has increased.
Following Federal Government’s announcement of plans to redesign and replace the naira, Bawa had disclosed that intelligence at EFCC’s disposal showed that three governors had concluded plans to inject the money into the system through table payment of their state workers’ salaries. He also disclosed that the three governors were already being monitored closely.
Bawa, who spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, revealed that more governors had been placed under the anti-graft agency’s watch.
But he did not disclose the identities of the suspected governors.
“On the issue of the governors that we are monitoring, in fact, the numbers have even increased. We are monitoring everything, Nigerians are helping. Well, I don’t want to give you the figures so that you will not go and speculate whether they are in the North or in the South, but it’s important that Nigerians key into it,” he said.
The EFCC boss commended the ongoing redesigning of the Naira, saying it’s a significant process in Nigeria’s fight against financial crimes and other forms of corruption.
Bawa expressed regrets that the huge amount of the country’s currency that has left the Central Bank of Nigeria’s vaults had compounded the trailing of financial crimes.
He said redesigning the Naira would provide the government the opportunity to regain control of cash flow in the country.
The EFCC boss warned politicians against campaigning with illegitimate funds.