ABUJA – Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, has vowed to go after and arrest politicians involved in vote buying, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Bawa, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Anti-corruption, told newsmen on the sideline that the Commission will work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and implement a section of the Electoral Act that deals with inducement and vote buying.
“We will continue to do what we have to do. We are trying to ensure that illegitimate funds are not finding their way into our electoral processes and for those involved in vote buying, we will continue to arrest them and work with INEC. The cases of those arrested for vote buying are in courts .”
Bawa said plans by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign the naira notes, would checkmate fraud and ensure the country is free of economic and financial crimes.
“So we are working with them toward ensuring that this country is free of economic and financial crimes. We welcome the policy. It is a good thing that the country is designing its currency because how can you have an effective monetary policy when you don’t have control over it?
“About 85 per cent of your currencies out there, people are hoarding it. People are using it to speculate on foreign currencies. So coming out with this policy, government is trying to contend with it and I am sure that those people that are holding back this money whether legitimately or illegitimately, we will be able to monitor and the right cause of the law will take its course.”
Bawa, who decried the spate of cyber crimes, especially among young people, begged them to join the EFCC in fighting the menace.
“These are Nigerians from the youthful constituency, they should join me in fighting the scourge of cybercrime. We are working. It is part of our mandate to fight cybercrime and to fight advance fee fraud.
“We are working in conformity with the law. As of October 22, 2022, we had succeeded in securing 2,847 convictions. The activities of these cybercriminals are tarnishing our image as a nation across the Atlantic.
“We are not deterred to rid the nation of cybercrimes and other financial crimes and we will continue to do what we have to do.”
