Arms Deal: Magu vows to deal with Bureau De Change involved in $2.1bn scandal

By OKOSUN OKHUELEIGBE

The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu, has said that no Bureau De Change operator involved in the ongoing $2.1bn arms deal probe will be spared.

Magu, said on Tuesday in Abuja when operators of Bureau De Change paid him a  courtesy call to his office.

He reiterated that the existing mutual relationship between the Commission and the group in the areas of sensitization and training will be sustained.

According to him, “My operatives often tell me what they see 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.”

Responding, the Chairman of Bureau De Change operators, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, had expressed the resolve of the group to join hands with the Commission in the ongoing war against corruption and economic crimes.

He also highlighted some major challenges that the Bureau De Change operators were facing from policy regulators and security agencies.

Gwadabe decried the activities of black marketers who, according to him, had been giving the licensed operators a bad name. “Most of the time, fraud is perpetrated within the banking premises. However, whenever there is an issue, it is the Bureau De Change operators who are usually attacked.

Another problem is the issue of BVN registration, which I believe should have been extended to three years in order to allow more people to be registered”, he said.