Vote buying: EFCC takes fight to Bureaux de Change operators

…Says vote buying inimical to everything democracy stands for

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, on Thursday, took campaign against votes buying to Bureaux de Change (BDC) operators in the South-East Zone, urging them 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, Oumarrou 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. Also on Thursday in Abuja, the anti-graft agency embarked on sensitisation campaign against dollar for votes with Bureaux de Change (BDC) operators at the Wuse Zone 4 Office in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. The EFCC team, which was led by ADC Aisha Larai Musa, Head, EFCC’s Creative Communications Unit, used the opportunity to warn the BDC operators on the dangerous trend of an influx of fake Dollar notes now in circulation. Advising the operators to be at alert, Musa urged them to be cautious because “as the electioneering period peaks, you are now a soft target for money laundering and circulation of fake dollar notes”. She further urged them to report any such cases to the EFCC including vote buying incidents, through its hotlines: 08141219896, 09077928772, 09051923475, 09074456025, 09051916064, and 09066270016.