20th March, 2021
By Abankula
Abdulrasheed Bawa, chairman of the Economic and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC, has expressed concern about the activities of some whistleblowers who mislead the agency by supplying false information.
Bawa said scarce investigative resources are wasted by the agency in following up false leads that frequently come to dead ends.
On Thursday an Abuja court remanded in prison three fake whistleblowers, who lied that stacks of cash were in the residence of one Audu Innocent Ogbeh.
The men remanded by Justice Musa Usman were Theophilus Omambala, Lawal Umar and Alexander Danjuma.
The Innocent Ogbeh the informants snitched about lived at at Lugbe District of the FCT.
However, EFCC operatives found that the intel was fake and took the men to court.
Bawa said the activities of false whistleblowers detract from the noble intention of the Whistleblower Policy of the Federal Government which seeks to reward information leading to the recovery of stolen wealth.
He 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 will not hesitate to prosecute any whistleblower who wilfully provides the agency with false information.
He, however, reiterated the Commission’s preparedness to work with genuine whistleblowers.
He acknowledged the breakthroughs which the EFCC recorded in its assets recovery drive, using information supplied by whistleblowers.
He advised genuine informants to be cautious and ensure that they have accurate information before contacting the agency.
Bawa assured that 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.