Public Funds Moved From LG Account Into Crypto Wallets — EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disclosed that suspicious public funds were transferred from a local government account to a private company before being moved into cryptocurrency wallets.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede disclosed this while addressing media executives and journalists in Abuja, warning that the commission would continue to intervene when it detects suspicious movements of public funds.

Olukoyede said the commission had recently identified an unusual transaction involving money transferred from a local government account to a company. Further investigation allegedly showed that the funds were subsequently moved into cryptocurrency wallets.

He said the EFCC could not ignore such transactions because of the difficulty associated with tracing and recovering funds once they are transferred through digital assets.

The EFCC chairman explained that the commission had adopted a more proactive approach to financial crimes by monitoring suspicious transactions and intervening before funds could be completely dissipated.

According to him, investigators can temporarily freeze suspicious accounts for up to 72 hours while establishing the source and destination of funds and determining whether the transactions are legitimate.

Olukoyede said the approach was intended to prevent suspected proceeds of crime from being moved beyond the reach of investigators.

He did not disclose the name of the local government, the state where it is located or the private company involved in the transaction.

The disclosure comes amid growing concerns over the use of cryptocurrency and digital wallets to move suspected proceeds of financial crimes.

Cryptocurrency transactions can make investigations more complex because funds can be transferred rapidly between different wallets and across jurisdictions.

The EFCC has consequently increased its focus on digital financial transactions as part of its broader efforts to combat money laundering, fraud and other economic crimes.

Olukoyede said the commission’s preventive strategy was designed to identify suspicious financial activities early rather than waiting until funds had been completely transferred or spent.

He also stressed that financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders had an important role to play in identifying unusual transactions and providing information that could assist investigations.

The commission has increasingly used financial intelligence to trace suspected illicit funds and recover assets linked to economic and financial crimes.

The latest disclosure highlights the challenges facing government agencies in protecting public funds, particularly at the local government level.

It also underscores the growing role of digital assets in financial crime investigations as criminals and other individuals seek alternative channels for transferring money.

The EFCC is expected to continue investigating the transaction and determine whether criminal offences were committed.

The commission maintained that suspicious movement of public funds would attract scrutiny and that individuals or entities found responsible would be subjected to appropriate legal action.