Anti-Corruption: “Provide accurate information” – says EFCC to Whistleblowers

The Economic and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC, has advised Whistleblower to ensure that they provide accurate information on corrupt activities before engaging with the agency.

The Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mr Abdurasheed Bawa, who expressed concerns about misleading information from supposed whistleblowers explained that despite due diligence by the EFCC, scarce investigative resources have been wasted by the Commission in following up false leads, that frequently comes to a dead end.

According to him, this is a distraction from the Federal Government’s Whistleblower Policy which seeks to elicit information leading to the recovery of stolen wealth.

He, therefore, warned genuine informants to be cautious and sincere and not misled the agency through false information.

Bawa said, “The Whistleblower Policy was not designed as a tool for unscrupulous citizens to send law enforcement agencies on wild goose chase or set them against their perceived enemies.”

He vowed that the EFCC would not hesitate to prosecute any whistleblower who willfully provides the Commission with false information.

The EFCC Chairman, however, reiterated the Commission’s preparedness to work with genuine whistleblowers and acknowledged the breakthroughs which the Commission recorded in its assets recovery drive, using information supplied by whistleblowers.

“The Directorate of Intelligence which was recently created will henceforth ensure that all information received by the EFCC is subjected to rigorous due diligence before action is taken,“ Bawa added.

 PIAK