The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said that three Governors are under its watch following the announcement of the redesign of the Naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, made this known to Daily Trust in an exclusive interview on Thursday.
Bawa said information at the disposal of the anti-graft agency was that the funds stashed by the Governor are now to be used for payment of salaries in cash.
Bawa, who refused to disclose the identity of the three governors, however, said two of them are from the North, while the third one is from the southern part of the country.
He told Daily Trust: “Let me tell you something, the Intel that I have yesterday and I would want you to take this thing very seriously.
“Already, some state governors that have some of this cash stashed in various houses and the rest are now trying to pay salaries in cash in their state.
“I don’t know how they want to achieve that but we have to stop them from doing that.
“Well, we are working, they have not paid the salaries in cash yet but it is a very serious thing.
“The law is very clear regarding cash transactions.
“Anybody that is to consummate any cash transaction as an individual, if it is not through a financial institution must not be above N5 million and if it is above that it is criminal for you to engage in such transaction.
“And for corporate entities it is N10 million.
“Yes, I agree the salaries are not up to that but why are you all of a sudden, and all along you have been paying people salaries through their bank accounts and now you want to pay them in cash, what are you trying to do?
“They will come under a lot of guises, they are trying to do verification of officers, that is what we have gotten.”