*Says banks undermining circulation of new notes

The Chairman of Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, in an interview with Hausa Service of the BBC, asked Nigerians to expose individuals and organisations hoarding the new naira notes for the agency to track them and seize the money.

He said that some commercial banks were “putting a spanner in the works” in making the new naira bills available to Nigerians.

Bawa said information gathered from the CBN showed that so far, the apex bank had issued new bills to the tune of over N400billion.

He, however, said the commercial banks were refusing to issue them to the public.

Bawa therefore asked Nigerians to expose individuals that ‘hoard’ the new notes, for the agency to track them and seize the money.

According to him, “This is the next stride that EFCC believes will bring succour to the ordinary Nigerians.”

He said a huge reward awaited whistle blowers who helped in exposing the places or the persons who stockpiled the new notes.

“They (commercial banks) are denying the poor people money in the banks and

ATM machines. That’s why we send our officials to the states to monitor the banks and the people who are involved in the shoddy deal and undermining the process,’’ he said.

In this article