EFCC vows to go after Bureau De Change operators involved in $2.1bn arms scam

The Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, assured that all the Bureau De Change operators connected to the $2.1bn arms deal scam will be probed.

Speaking on Tuesday, Jan. 5, during a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja by Bureau De Change operators association, Magu said there are reports of some of their members withdrawing about N500million in tranches, which is believed to be from the arms deal.

He said: “My operatives often tell me what they see you during investigations. We need to talk to you, as some of your operators are fond of carrying huge amounts of money out of the country, since they can no longer withdraw more than $300 using the ATM.

‘There are fraudulent involvements of Bureau De Change operators in the arms deal scandal. There are reports of some of your members withdrawing as much as N500million in two, three, four tranches in this arms deal scam. So, I am greatly disturbed. I think there should be a documentation regarding your activities, as this will enable your group to checkmate anyone who is involved in any fraudulent activity.”

Prior to the EFCC boss' statement, the Chairman of the Bureau De Change operators association, Aminu Gwadabe, had assured that the group would join hands with the EFCC in the ongoing anti-corruption war.

Gwadabe blamed shady deals in the bureau on black marketers, who he said are giving the business a bad name.