The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arrested no fewer than 87 forex dealers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos and Kano.
Findings revealed that the EFCC detectives stormed several forex trading hubs in Abuja, ransacking their vaults for stash of dollars and naira.
The operatives later arrested no fewer than 25 legal and illegal forex dealers in addition to the 40 arrested on Tuesday during a raid of the Zone 4 Wuse offices of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators, bringing the number of arrests in the Federal Capital Territory to 65.
During the operation, the EFCC personnel were said to have seized the phones of those that were arrested.
The anti-graft agency also nabbed about 14 forex dealers in Lagos on Wednesday while eight others were picked up at the famous Bureau de Change market located at Wapa in Kano metropolis.
The development came barely 24 hours after operatives of the anti-graft commission arrested the Kogi State House of Assembly candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ismaila Atumeyi, with N326m and $140,500 cash.
Atumeyi, who is seeking to represent Ankpa Constituency 11 in the Kogi State House of Assembly, was arrested on Sunday, October 30, 2022 alongside one Joshua Dominic, an alleged serial fraudster in a sting operation at Macedonia Street, Queens Estate, Karsana, Gwarinpa, Abuja.
In Lagos, EFCC detectives swooped on forex dealers on Broad Street in Lagos Island as well as some Bureau de Change outlets in other parts of the states.
Forex traders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the EFCC operatives came in two buses. It was learnt that about 14 Bureau de Change operators were arrested in Lagos.
Though no reason had been given for the raids, the EFCC operation, it was gathered, was targeted at tracking illicit funds from terrorists, bandits and politicians who might want to convert their stash in a desperate move to beat the redesign of the naira announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
But speaking on the Abuja raid, the Assistant Provost, Association of Bureau de Change Operators, Zone 4, Wuse, Mallam Muhammed Nera, disclosed that 13 out of the 25 persons arrested on Wednesday had been released to the association, noting that their phones were, however, still in the EFCC’s custody.
The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren did not respond to the allegations when contacted on Wednesday.
Punch/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko
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