The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has urged Nigerian journalists, hotel owners, and bank compliance officers to join forces in the fight against corruption.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede emphasized the importance of this collaboration.
He made this call while addressing journalists during a courtesy visit to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benin City, emphasizing the crucial role of the media in combating corruption.
Olukoyede highlighted the need for collaboration, noting that the media plays a significant role in informing and educating the public about corruption.
Representing the EFCC boss, Acting Zonal Director ACE I Effa I. Okim, thanked journalists for their continued support in the Commission’s efforts to eliminate corruption and financial crimes. He called for increased cooperation, stating, “We must come together to stop corruption. Let’s deepen our reportage on corruption that has eaten into every fabric of our society.”
NUJ Chairman in the state, Festus Alenkhe, commended the EFCC for the visit and urged union members to assist in the fight against corruption by exposing acts and cases of corruption.
In a separate meeting with executives of the Hotel Owners Association in Edo and Delta States, Olukoyede, represented by Okim, urged hotel owners to ensure their establishments do not become havens for internet fraudsters and other criminal elements.
He emphasized the need to collectively combat these criminal activities, noting, “We need you to collectively fight Yahoo Yahoo. They are a menace to our society. Drive them away from your hotels. Don’t allow them to use your hotels to defraud innocent people.”
Olukoyede also engaged with compliance officers of banks, urging them to adhere strictly to banking ethics and regulations.
He emphasized the crucial role banks play in combating corruption and financial crimes, stating, “Most economic and financial crimes are committed through banks, so the cooperation of bankers is key to the fight as money laundering and other financial crimes are committed through the banks. We invited you here today to nourish our existing relationship and seek areas of further collaboration as stakeholders in the fight against economic and financial crimes in Nigeria. We advise that as bankers, you carry out due diligence and Know Your Customers, KYC. By doing this, you save yourselves from trouble and make our job easier.”
