EFCC Restates Commitment to Fight Against Money Laundering in Real Estate Sector

EFCC Restates Commitment to Fight Against Money Laundering in Real Estate Sector

Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa has reiterated the commitment of the Commission towards combating money laundering and terrorism financing in the real estate sector of the economy.

He stated this in Abuja on Monday, April 25, 2022 at a Workshop by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA. According to him, the Nigeria Evaluation Report shows that the real estate sector is the second most vulnerable sector to money laundering practices in Nigeria. . According to him, places like Abuja , Port Harcourt, Kano, Lagos are some of the major cities where properties are regularly purchased mostly in cash and often in foreign currencies, with no questions asked by anybody, about the legality of such transactions. Bawa, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Hadiza Gamawa Zubairu, stressed that, based on the existing realities of the real sector, the EFCC will leave no stone unturned in combating money laundering practices in the sector.“

Just last year in July, the EFCC launched an App called “The Eagle Eye” which has eased the processes of reporting economic and financial crimes and also exposed the flow of illicit funds in the real estate sector. This indeed has provided useful intelligence and goes to show the level of commitment that EFCC has in the real estate sector”, she said.