By Emmanuel Nduka
Operatives of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday stormed Wuse Zone 4, in the nation’s capital, which is home to most Bureau de Change operators.
The raid, a source said, was a covert operation to dislodge currency speculators who are alleged to be massively mopping up available foreign currencies.
The operation is also said to be a product of weeks of surveillance in which agents of the EFCC have been monitoring the activities of most of the bureau de change operators in the area.
The anti-graft agency is said to be working on intelligence that some forces with massive naira inflow have mobilized resources and are busy buying up available foreign currencies especially the United States dollar, to either hoard or smuggle the same out of Nigeria.
In related developments, operatives of the Commission have also been spotted at major airports in the country, in what a source said is a coordinated nationwide operation that will be extended to all the major commercial cities such as Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The naira recently crashed to an all time low of over N700 to a dollar.
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, is yet to give an official statement on the matter.