EFCC Warns DNFIs Against Suspicious Transactions

The Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mohammed Umar on Monday, August, 17, 2020, warned Designated Non-Financial Institutions, (DNFIs), across the country against un-reported suspicious transactions to appropriate government agencies.

According to him, stiff penalties would be meted out to any erring DFNI in this regard.

Umar made the declaration at EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja, during the opening ceremony of a four-day training on “Asset Tracing and Investigation,” organized by the EFCC for its officers, drawn from its 14 zonal offices.

The training, which is aimed at further equipping the Commission’s officers with skills on how to trace, identify and recover proceeds of economic and financial crimes, runs alongside another course on Microsoft Excel, geared towards aiding investigative officers in building database, and skill acquisition on chart linking on recovered assets.

Represented by the Academy’s acting commandant, Itam Nnaghe Obono, Umar stated that “If any of the defaulting DNFIs is penalized and used as an example, others will all wake up to complying with the requirement of the law which mandates them to report all transactions within a stipulated threshold.”

DFNIs are statutorily required to file reports of suspicious transactions to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering( SCUML), domiciled in the EFCC. Their non-compliance may yield prosecution of any erring institution or individual.

The Commission’s office in Makurdi Office, Benue State, have been charged to make diligence and professionalism their watchword.

“The issue of professionalism, discipline and dedication to duty can not be over emphasized, as they are key to realising the Commission’s core mandate of ridding the nation of all manners of economic and financial crimes commission.”

The new head of the zone, CDS Isei Daniel gave the charge on Monday, August 17, 2020 while meeting with the staff at the Commission’s office located along Plot 193, Gondu Aluor Road, Old GRA, Makurdi, Benue State.

He admonished staff to be dedicated and disciplined, while urging them to avoid compromise of any sort in the discharge of their duties.

CDS Daniel also warned staff against laziness and truancy, which he described as offence against discipline. According to him, “there is reward for hardwork, just as erring staff will also get appropriate sanction.” He urged sectional heads to be alive to their responsibilities by enforcing discipline and professionalism amongst staff under their watch.

He used the opportunity to encourage staff to always stay safe and strictly abide by the NCDC protocols on covid-19 pandemic, while discharging their duties or in other social engagements.

It would be recalled that, CDS Daniel had upon resumption last week Monday (August 10, 2020), met with sectional heads where he solicited their cooperation for him to deliver on the new task. Today’s meeting which did not last more than 15minutes was first of its kind between the new head and staff of the zone.