The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has appealed to filmmakers to ensure that the movie industry does not become a soft target for funds laundered illegally outside the financial system.
EFCC chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede stated this at the recent National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) round table forum with film producers, exhibitors and distributors tagged “Morality and Ethics in Film Production in Nigeria at the Second Lagos International Film and Cinema Convention.”
Mr Olukoyede, represented by the head of public affairs of EFCC, Lagos Directorate, Ayo Oyewole, challenged filmmakers to conduct due diligence before accepting funding for movie production.
He said, “Filmmakers must conduct due diligence on funds for their productions otherwise they act as courier for illicit funds.”
Oyewole, who is also a deputy commander in the commission stated, “There is need for filmmakers to carry out ‘know your customer’ test before accessing any funding.”
Executive director of NFVCB Husseini Shaibu corroborated the message by the EFCC.
Husseini said, “With the abrogation of tobacco advertising in the electronic and print media, and the EFCC closing down on estate developers, the film industry naturally becomes the next target for illicit funds.”
In his response, president of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria Opeyemi Ajayi informed the EFCC representative that his request is difficult for the film industry to meet because the sector is private-driven. Moreso,”the film industry doesn’t receive any funding or grants from the government,” he said.
Another prominent filmmaker Teco Benson shared the same sentiment, advising the EFCC to put money down for productions if they want certain films produced or commission documentaries. He said the onus is on the EFCC to track the owners of the funds while filmmakers are concerned on how to repay the funds advanced to them.
Responding further, Oyewole admitted the EFCC does not provide funding for film productions and also have no say on the direction of the script rather the EFCC is only appealing to filmmakers to change the narrative for the betterment of the economy.
Husseini further admonished filmmakers to pay greater attention to the sources of funds for their film productions and the promotion of crimes in their films, noting that his only regret is that “the consequences of crime in some films are usually not commensurate with the crime committed by the antagonist in some movies.”
