In an effort to bolster its fight against naira misuse, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced a 5% incentive for whistleblowers who offer genuine information that leads to the conviction of criminals.
Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesman, revealed this as a guest on the EFCC 97.3FM Abuja talk program yesterday.
He stated that the 5% incentive was intended to encourage whistleblowers to come forward with information that may help the conviction of perpetrators.
Oyewale said, “There’s a reward if you report anyone spraying the Naira. That is whistleblowing.
The whistleblowing act offers 5% reward of whatever amount that is involved to whoever offers credible information that can stand the rigour of prosecution and not derived from malice and mischief.”
He said that since the task force on naira abuse and dollarisation was formed, the EFCC has achieved over 50 convictions throughout the country.
The EFCC official reiterated that rejecting the naira as legal money constituted a criminal crime, and anybody found guilty would face the full force of the law.
While emphasizing that the commission was working relentlessly to nairalise the economy, since the extensive usage of foreign currencies was damaging to the country’s economic prosperity.
Oyewale said, “It is a crime to reject the naira. If there’s nothing wrong with the naira, maybe it’s dirty and not mint, and you reject it; it is a crime.
“The naira is the symbol of our economy. We are a sovereign nation, with our own territorial integrity, so, whatever is within the ambit of our economy and every transaction in Nigeria must be done in naira.”
