Anti-graft War: EFCC urges more synergy with heads of security of banks

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, called for greater synergy between his agency and members of the Committee of Heads of Security of Banks and other financial institutions, in fighting economic crimes.

Bawa made the appeal through the Director of Operations, Abdulkarim Chukkol, when a delegation of Heads of Security of Banks and other Financial Institution, led by its Chairman, Colonial Samuel Agbanusi (Rtd), visited the Commission in Abuja.

The EFCC boss thanked the security chiefs for the assistance they have been rendering to the EFCC, and urged them to continue to support the Commission by treating requests and invitations from it with dispatch.

“You know that the work EFCC is doing is a herculean task, that we alone cannot do it. We have to have partnerships; partnership with the banks, partnership with people like you who do similar jobs like we do because you understand some of the pains that the investigators go through, trying to get a suspect or arrest a suspect or trying to find information that could be vital in the course of investigation,” he said.

Bawa commended them for coming together under one platform, which he says makes it easier for the Commission to relate with them as a collective.

On his part, the Chairman of the Committee, Col. Agbanusi (rtd) said their visit to the Commission was to congratulate the EFCC chairman on his appointment and explore ways to improve collaboration with the Commission. “We should be carried along more than it is now, because we are the liaisons for the banks. Secondly, banks are very sensitive organizations, what you just need to do is people to see something happen, then you will have a run on your deposit. If you want an executive director, even if it is the managing director, you write and the person will come,” he said.

Bawa assured the security chiefs that the Commission has well-defined standard operating procedures and will not engage in activities that are not permitted by law.

Banks represented at the meeting include Fidelity Bank, Access Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanbic IBTC, GTCO, Zenith Bank, Heritage Bank, Polaris Bank and Providus Bank.