Lagos — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stepped up its anti-money laundering efforts with an all round surveillance on banks transactions.

EFCC Chairman Farida Waziri said commercial banks in the country were helping in the fight against economic crimes as they now remit financial returns to the commission.

Also, Waziri said the commission had not foreclosed investigations into the activities of some of the governors who served between 1999 and 2007.

The EFCC boss told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend in Abuja that reports indicating that investigation files of the ex-governors were missing or stolen were false and unfounded.

Waziri said banks had put structures in place and appointed compliance officers to enforce the "know-your- customers' rules" in compliance with the EFCC Act.

She said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had also set up structures for monitoring banking operation in the effort to fight financial and economic crimes in the country.

The EFCC boss said the commission had set up the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor massive movement of money within and outside the country to check money-laundering and other economic crimes.

Waziri further stated that the United Nations Directorate for Drugs and Crimes was now working with banks to ensure compliance with international financial regulations to check cross-border financial transactions.

She explained that this followed the admission of Nigeria into the Edmond Group of Countries for Certification Against Money Laundering.

"After my meeting with managing directors of commercial banks in Lagos last year, the EFCC is receiving the support and cooperation of banks in getting returns of financial transactions for analysis by the NFIU.

" This is to track funds and check dubious financial transactions," she said.

Waziri stated that the commission had established "Operation Eagle Club", a mechanism to check cyber crimes, including letter scams emanating from the country.

"Under the mechanism, scam letters emanating from Nigeria will be shut from the system," she explained.

She also said the commission in partnership with the Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) and some non-governmental organisations were collaborating in the fight against piracy.

According to her, "Nigeria does not have the laws against cyber crimes brought about by progress in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), but we are determined to do something about."

On the ex-governors, the EFCC chairman said: "The investigations into their cases are ongoing and have a definite process."

She did not name the affected governors.

But it was learnt that only eight names are at present on the list of ex-governors still being tried by the EFCC for alleged corruption while in office.

They include former governors Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Orji Kalu (Abia), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Sani Ahmed (Zamfara), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo), Joshua Dariye (Plateau) and Jolly Nyame (Taraba).

Unconfirmed sources, however, said that former Delta State governor James Ibori's name did not appear on the list.

EFCC has also appealed the ruling of the Federal High Court, Enugu, on a former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.

Waziri said investigations into criminal cases were not closed but were reopened as fresh facts emerged.

She pointed out that the era of Gestapo tactics in EFCC operations was gone and that the commission would follow due process and the rule of law in the investigation and prosecution of suspects.

She said EFCC would not drag suspects into detention for two to three months before trial, insisting that the commission would carry out a thorough investigation before arresting any suspect.

Waziri said: "We would have carried out our checks in the banks, the Corporate Affairs Commission and done our asset investigation before inviting suspects. This would shorten the period of interrogation and the arraignment of the suspects," she said.

She denounced what she called the system in the past when the EFCC had no structure in place.

"Things were done in haphazard fashion before I came in and when I discovered that, I began to restructure the place, first by inviting the Price Waterhouse Coopers, a human resources and consultant agency, to look at the structure and evolve a solid structure for us. The company recommended that we establish monitoring, evaluation and intelligence units to enable us to move forward speedily. The firm also recommended the establishment of an assets review unit and a new salary structure for employees of the commission," she said.

According to her, the recommendations for a new salary structure had been forwarded to the Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission as part of the new condition of service for EFCC workers.

Taking a swipe at corrupt members of the elite group in the Nigerian society, Waziri said they loot the treasury and break the laws of the land with impunity.

She said many of them engage in primitive accumulation of wealth and boast around that their generations yet unborn would not lack, adding, however, that they were mistaken, as the long hands of the law would catch up with them.

Waziri recalled that when she took office as EFCC chairman, her detractors denounced her appointment.

She said: "Some did not see anything good in a woman taking over the office of EFCC chairman. Some referred to me as 'that woman'. Many said worse things.

"Those who manned the commission before me, worked under me and I see my coming to EFCC as divine intervention.

"Indeed Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Lamorde were my staff and I assisted them in advisory capacity in writing a blueprint and setting up of the EFCC. I am experienced, I was prepared for the job and I knew it was not an easy task to fight corruption and economic crimes.

"Upon assumption of duties, I quickly showed that I am not a push-around."

Waziri, a lawyer, has more than 35 years experience in law enforcement.

She said in 10 months at the helm of affairs at the EFCC, she had secured 55 convictions, representing about one-third of all convictions secured since the establishment of the EFCC in 2002.

She has also made recoveries of more than N50 billion during the period.

On the redeployment of erstwhile Director of Operations at the EFCC, Tunde Ogunsakin, in controversial circumstances, Waziri said there was no ulterior motive to the issue.

"The job of Director of Operations is a full time job. It is a round-the clock job that requires full attention. The job is a challenging assignment because the officer has to carry out investigations and liaise with the boys in the field as well as put together reports of investigations.

"Ogunsakin is a full-time law student and there is no way anyone can combine full time studies with the position he occupied in the EFCC.

"Besides, I do not need a student as the Director of Operations of the EFCC," she said.

"I was not instrumental to his redeployment," she added.

Waziri said when the report of Ogunsakin's involvement in examination malpractice was reported in the media, she asked the "Servicom Unit of the EFCC to look into the matter and that is where we are now".