The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has requested banks to forward the account details of all legislative and judiciary officials in the country.
In a letter dated September 10, 2019, a copy of which was seen by our correspondent, the NFIU said the information being sought include account names and numbers of the officials.
The reason for the request was not given in the letter signed by Fehintola Salisu, NFIU associate director of analysis and compliance. It was addressed to the chief compliance officers of banks.
The agency also sought the account details of the national assembly and the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Although it listed judges and national assembly members as well, there was no mention of any member of the executive arm of government.
The letter read: “Request for information on: All accounts of: the National Assembly, National Judicial Council (NJC), all the members of the National Assembly, principal officers (management) of the National Assembly Service Commission, (and) of principal officers of the judiciary.
“Kindly provide the NFIU with a schedule (account names and account numbers) of the National Assembly, members of the National Assembly and principal officers of the National Assembly Service Commission, as well as all accounts of National Judicial Service Commission and their principal officers including judges and other relevant politically exposed persons.”
The agency led by Hamman Tukur directed the banks to forward the information on or before Friday, September 13, 2019.
The agency’s operations came into full force last year when President Muhammadu Buhari signed a bill that made it autonomous and independent from the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The new law empowers the agency to among other things, “receive currency transaction reports, suspicious transactions reports, currency declaration reports and other information relating to money laundering and extremists financing activities from financial institutions.”
The NFIU had recently vowed to make public assets of all public officials and senior political office holders.