Knocks For Abdulrasheed Bawa
OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said that 90 percent of money laundering is done through the real estate sector.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, the anti-corruption agency boss stated that although the sector is monitored via the special control unit, more needed to be done.
According to Bawa, “One of the problems we have now is the real estate. 90 to 100 percent of the resources are being laundered through the real estate.”
He said there are so many issues involved, but that they were working with the National Assembly to stop what he called “the gate keepers” as there would be reduction in looting if there is no one to launder the money.
Bawa, the EFCC boss, gave an example of a minister who expressed interest in a $37.5 million property a bank manager put up for sale.
Abdulrasheed Bawa: “The bank sent a vehicle to her house and in the first instance $20 million was evacuated from her house.
“They paid a developer and a lawyer set up a special purpose vehicle, where the title documents were transferred into.
“And he (the lawyer) is posing as the owner of the property. You see the problem. This is just one of many; it is happening daily.”
Reacting to the Chairman’s disclosure, a social media user identified as Nel Gold said “A major issue is knowing what is right but never do it because of paddy-paddy and the fear of been caught in our own Web..
“What is holding the nation back from promulgating stiff laws against corruption and setting up special courts to try corruption cases, when one or two persons are sentenced to life in prison and assets forfeited to state, others wont do it……
“But no no, we wont do that because the trap might catch us instead of the others….. Nonsense dreamers,: he stated.
In the same vein, another social media enthusiast named Segun Onalaja said : “What is EFCC doing about those people who are laundering money through the purchase of cattle and forcing other to feed their cattle for them ,and even going to the extent of eating up the people investment in farms forcefully.
“I think EFCC should focus more too on the cattle owners,
I don’t think that because Lagos State has a lot of investors in real estate,it has now become money laundering,. Please don’t disturb the development of Lagos State with your nonsense excuse ,
“Would you rather prefer the money taken outside the country or used to develop property,” he said.
Adding his voice, another social media commentator simply identified as Eckeke said “And what have become of the minister Mr Bawa? Or is just to go bursting children in Ogun, Osogbo and other place in the middle of the night and compel them to plead bargain thereby giving cheap publicity and promotion that is unmerited?
“Go after those eating our yams and make them vomit the yams before they swallow them, unfortunately you people are too scared to step on toes, that reminds me, how far have your organization gone with the 2 bullion vans case?
“Or you are still investigating to know if those where bullion vans? How far have you people gone in prosecuting Magu the Mago mago man?
“Talk is cheap, yeye country with two different laws for the poor masses and the connected,” he submitted
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