EFCC, FG Keep Quiet Over Bola Tinubu’s Bullion Vans During 2019 Election

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday declined comments about whether it had launched an investigation to find out how former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, came about the bullion vans that drove into his home in February.

The Federal Government have likewise stayed quiet about the controversies despite that Nigerians have mounted pressure on the anti-graft office to open money laundering probe against Mr. Tinubu, after the ruling party chieftain was seen receiving at least two armored vehicles believed to be bearing cash on February 22, a day to the presidential election on February 23.

Mr Tinubu is a senior leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and a strong ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was seeking reelection at the time.

Critics said there was no doubt the vehicles were conveying cash to bribe voters with, especially since such trucks are used in Nigeria almost exclusively to convey cash by banks, government institutions and cash-in-transit firms.

Mr Tinubu’s action was widely deemed contrary to Nigerian anti-money laundering laws, which places a cap of N5 million ( about $14,000) on cash handling by individuals.

The former Lagos governor admitted the next day that the bullion vans were conveying money to his house, but he defended his action as out of public’s interest because he was not a government official.