Several civil society organisations have urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to apprehend all naira abusers and avoid the temptation of engaging in any form of selective arrest and prosecution. This call comes in the wake of the recent prosecution of some naira abusers in the country. Viral videos have also surfaced, showing notable Nigerians engaged in the act of naira mutilation, leading to calls for their prosecution.
Enefaa Georgewill, the Chairman of the Rivers State Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, expressed the need for the anti-graft agency to approach the issue with compassion and impartiality.
Georgewill said, “The EFCC should arrest those mutilating the naira. I worry that the EFCC should do that compassionately without being selective. There are videos of kings, top politicians, and giants of industry who are engaging in the act, and the EFCC has done practically nothing.
“They are only going for below or middle catch. It is a Nigerian brand of justice where the high and mighty are exonerated. All of those whose videos have gone viral should be prosecuted.
“While we condemn the mutilation of the naira, there are more serious crimes committed by politicians, and the manner of prosecution is not the same as the passion they use in naira mutilation. If they had shown this passion, by now, we would have resolved the issue of financial crimes.”
Similarly, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association, said the EFCC should engage in a bigger role than chasing naira abusers.
Onwubiko stated, “The EFCC has a bigger role to play in terms of ending the massive corruption that is ongoing among public office holders. Truly, it is an offence, but not an offence where the EFCC has to waste our resources to prosecute offenders.”
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