As part of its resolve to prevent vote buying and any other type of electoral fraud during the 2019 general elections, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu on Thursday, February 21, 2019 charged Bureaux de Change, BDC operators across the South-East Zone to resist any attempt by politicians to use them in laundering illicit funds for electoral purposes.
Speaking through Usman Imam, Zonal Head of the EFCC Enugu Office, Magu during an interactive session with the operators, which held at the EFCC’s zonal office, urged them not to allow themselves to be used by the politicians.
“The bureau de change has become one avenue or call it instrument that politicians have used over the years to get foreign exchange to subvert and abuse our electoral process and we have decided once again to call and remind you to operate within your guideline and laws,” he said.
He stressed that EFCC was determined as a law enforcement agency to stop vote buying, which he described as “inimical” to everything democracy stands for.
He called on BDCs operators to see their work not only as profit-oriented business, but a platform to project healthy national values expected of patriotic and law abiding citizens of the country.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the forum, Oumarou Ide, commended the Commission for its role in ridding Nigeria of corruption and pledged support for the EFCC’s efforts aimed at preventing money laundering activities.