EFCC and Edo Hoteliers Unite Against Financial Crimes

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has called on owners of businesses and hotels across the country to collaborate with the Commission in the fight against economic and financial crimes.

Speaking through the Acting Director of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, Deputy Commander of the EFCC, DCE Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Olukoyede assured the executives of Businesses and Hoteliers Stakeholders Forum, Edo State, who came on a courtesy visit of his determination to combat fraud in all sectors of the economy and the professionalism of the Commission’s officers in the discharge of their duties.

“The Commission is determined to ensure that businesses strive in a fraud-free environment that will benefit business owners and promote growth of the economy. We uphold our core values of integrity, professionalism, courage and collaboration in the discharge of our duties. Our officers are guided by these values and the Standard Operating Procedures in the course of their duties. All these we do within the ambit of EFCC Establishment Act 2004, which gives us powers to coordinate all anti-money laundering laws, Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, among other laws,” he said.

While assuring the hotel owners that EFCC’s doors are always open to them, he charged them to ensure that they play their part by doing due diligence and Know-Your-Customer, KYC on their customers.

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“It is expected that when you see something which is not in tandem with established rules and regulations that you let us know. As parents, if you see a boy who should be in school but has lodged in your hotel for three weeks, you should know that there is a problem, and we expect that you report to us,” he said.

The Chairman of the Forum, Omogiade Edokpolor in his remarks, disclosed that the Forum’s mission was to seek areas of collaboration with the Commission, adding that it was not averse to the EFCC’s statutory responsibilities. He commended the EFCC for being one of the country’s most respected institutions on account of professionalism and integrity.