The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday took its sensitisation campaign to Bureau de Change, BDC operators at the Wuse Zone 4 Office in Abuja.

The EFCC team, led by ADC Aisha Larai Musa, Head, EFCC’s Creative Communications Unit, used the opportunity to warn the BDC operators on the dangerous trend of an influx of fake Dollar notes now in circulation.

Advising the operators to be at alert, Musa, urged them to be cautious because “as the electioneering period peaks, you are now a soft target for money laundering and circulation of fake dollar notes”.

She further urged them to report any such cases to the EFCC including vote buying incidents.

Meanwhile the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Commission has resonated the warning by the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu against the influx of fake Dollars in the public ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections slated for Saturday, 23, February, 2019.

Magu who spoke through the Zonal Head of the Ibadan Office, Ebelo, Friday during an engagement with some operators of Bureau De Change in the Sabo Area of Ibadan, Oyo State warned the operators to be vigilant and do a thorough check on any Dollar notes they transact in the build up to the elections.

Speaking further, Ebelo said according to the intelligence available to the Commission, the fake Dollar notes in circulation have features of genuineness, but forensic analysis by the Commission had revealed otherwise, it is important therefore for the BDC operators to be cautious in their transactions from now till the end of the elections, Ebelo stated.

Ebelo also hosted Bank Compliance Officers of some select Banks to an interactive session on the need to partner against and forestall all forms of transactions that might aide the infamous voting buying trend in our electoral processes particularly in the forth coming elections.

Welcoming the bankers on behalf of the acting Executive Chairman, Ebelo appreciated the bank officials for their supports and reiterated their strategic position as a major Stakeholder in the fight against corruption and our investigation activities as a Commission.

He said, the object of the meeting was for interaction, review engagements and come up with suggestions for better synergy.

“It is important for us to have a more robust collaboration that will help in the building of our society. More importantly, your partnership is required now than ever before to ensure free, fair and credible elections”.

“We want to know about crimes before they are committed not after the act. If we get intelligence from you before the crime is actually committed, we can stop it. We are working on preventive measures against all forms of economic and financial crimes and vote buying is a crime against the law”, he emphasised.

“Let me use this opportunity to reiterate that the EFCC cannot do it alone and therefore we need your help. We need prompt responses to our letters to assist us in our investigation processes” he said.

He also interacted with Heads of the Security Agencies in Oyo State to inform them about the intervention and commitment of the Commission to monitor and forestall vote buying which might undermine the forthcoming elections.

The Commander, 2  Division Garrison, Nigeria Army, Brigadier  O.O Soyele enthused by the determination of the Commission to root out all forms of economic and financial crimes promised to provide all the necessary supports and assistance to EFCC operatives on the field during the elections.

The Commission also engaged BDC operators in Kano and Lagos States on the implication of fake Dollars in circulation and its effect on vote buying.