Stashed cash: More governors under radar – EFCC

The number of governors being monitored by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for money laundering suspicion has increased, according to the Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Abdulrasheed Bawa.

In the wake of the federal government’s plan to redesign and replace the naira, the EFCC boss had exclusively told Daily Trust that intelligence at the disposal of the commission showed that three governors had concluded plans to inject the money into the system through table payment of their state workers’ salaries, adding that they are closely monitoring them.

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But speaking with reporters after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, Bawa said more governors had been placed under watch.

However, he refused to disclose the identities of these 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.

Bawa also commended the new naira redesigning project, describing it as a significant process in the country’s fight against financial crimes and other forms of corruption.

According to him, the huge amount of the country’s currency that has left the hold of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) makes trailing financial crimes difficult

He said the naira redesigning was an opportunity for the government to regain control of cash flow in the country.

He urged politicians to campaign without using illegitimate funds.