Ahead of the 2019 General Elections, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr Ibrahim Magu, has raised the alarm over the increasing wave of illicit financial flows and vote-buying.
Magu made this known, Friday, during a meeting in Lagos with the Managing Directors of financial institutions in Nigeria
The event was dubbed: “Roles and Obligations of Managing Directors of Banks in Nigeria in Curbing Vote-Buying During an Election, Illicit Financial Flows and Other Related Matters in Nigeria.”
The EFCC chairman said that illicit financial flows would reduce the amount of resources available to the government to provide critical social services to the citizenry.
“Vote-buying during elections will prevent credible candidates from running for political offices.
“In Nigeria, vote-buying has reached an alarming proportion to the extent that politicians have now spread their tentacles to election officials, security agencies, election observers and even, the media,” he said.
According to Magu, the illicit financial flows out of the country was on the increase, adding that politicians were still perpetrating and trying to finalise their acts of vote-buying.
He urged the managing directors to join hands with the commission to save the country from being hijacked by suspected criminals.