The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced a 5% reward for whistleblowers who provide credible information leading to the prosecution of offenders.
This was highlighted by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesman, during his appearance on the EFCC 97.3FM Abuja talk show on Monday.
Oyewale emphasized that this reward is a statutory provision, underscoring the commission’s dedication to enforcing the law and protecting the economy from the adverse effects of naira abuse.
He stated: “There’s a reward if you report anyone spraying the naira. That is whistleblowing. The whistleblowing act offers a 5% reward of whatever amount is involved to anyone who provides credible information that can withstand the rigour of prosecution and is not motivated by malice or mischief.”
Oyewale further noted that since the formation of the task force on naira misuse and dollarisation, the EFCC has secured nearly 50 convictions nationwide.
The EFCC official also stressed that rejecting the naira as legal tender is a criminal act, and those found guilty will face legal consequences.
He added: “It is a crime to reject the naira. If there’s nothing wrong with the naira, maybe it’s dirty and not mint, and you reject it; it is a crime.
“The naira is the symbol of our economy. We are a sovereign nation, with our own territorial integrity, so whatever is within the ambit of our economy and every transaction in Nigeria must be conducted in naira.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has called for the expansion of the country’s whistleblower policy to protect individuals who expose corruption, gross mismanagement, and acts harmful to public health and safety from retaliation.
Osinbajo made this call during a virtual keynote address at the National Conference on Whistleblower Policy in Abuja in 2020.
He stated, “It is clear that under the current whistleblower policy, only acts of corruption are considered lawful for whistleblowing.”
