Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC), has disclosed that its operatives arrested a senior bank official in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for hoarding the new Naira notes.
According to the commission’s image maker, who spoke on Monday, the nabbed staff is the Operations Manager of “a leading commercial bank” in the Central Area.
Despite having N29 million of the new Naira notes in the bank’s vault, Uwujaren said the manager refused to load the Automated Teller Machines (ATM).
The spokesman said the operatives ordered staff of the branch of the commercial branch to load all the ATMs before they whisked the manager away for further questioning.
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He said the EFCC operatives “also ensured payment across the counter to the delight of the customers who had spent hours on queues without getting the new notes”.
The anti-corruption agency stated that the latest discovery indicates “a sabotage of the government’s monetary policy by some banks”.
Uwujaren disclosed that operatives covered more than five bank branches today in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The operation was in continuation of the surveillance and visit to banks across the country to access their vaults and verify whether they are deliberately refusing to dispense cash.
The EFCC said it would continue the raid until normalcy is restored to the banking system, urging Nigerians finding it difficult to access funds at any bank and suspects foul play to contact the commission.
Earlier on Monday, financial institutions denied hoarding the new naira notes, saying they cannot be a clog in the wheel of efforts of the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.