Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has said that some members of staff of banks are frustrating the commission’s anti-corruption fight.
Magu said this on Friday during an interactive session with regional compliance officers of commercial banks in Gombe State.
His comments come two days after he accused state governors of fueling insecurity to have their security votes increased.
Magu, who was represented at the event by the commission’s head in Gombe, Michael Wetkas, said that banks are key stakeholders in the fight against corruption as itemised in the commission’s Establishment Act of 2004.
He said: “Within the banking industry, there are actions which deliberately sabotage our efforts and such are unacceptable to the commission.
“Some banks’ staff are in the habit of going behind the commission to notify customers whose accounts are placed on Post-No-Debit Order (frozen), aiding and abetting crime and obstructing the wheel of justice, instead of assisting the commission as stipulated by law.”
Magu added that “banks must endeavour to always activate the ‘Know Your Customer’ requirement by verifying the addresses of their customers before opening any account in order not to give room for fraudsters to open accounts for illicit or fraudulent transactions.”
