The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has on Saturday justify its visit to Dangote Group Headquarters as official as its officials embarked with a search warrant for some vital documents on forex allocations to the company from 2014 to 2023 during the tenure of former Governor of Cental Bank of Nigeria
(CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.
It said it decided to search the head office of Dangote Group because the company was not forthcoming with the documents it was requested to provide.
The commission also said the visit was justified because its operatives were “able to get the vital documents they wanted.”
It said it would not join issues with the company but asked Nigerians to wait for the outcome of the investigation.
But Dangote Group in a statement, said no accusations of wrongdoing have been made against any company within its group.
It said the visit of the EFCC to its office was “designed to cause us unwarranted embarrassment.”
Following alleged foot dragging on its request for the details of foreign exchange allocation to Dangote Group since 2014, EFCC sent a team of detectives to the head office of the firm last Thursday .
Although Dangote Group and 51 other companies were asked to submit forex allocation details, a top source in EFCC said the Thursday search was compelling.
The source, who spoke with our correspondent last night, said: “We demanded for some vital documents but Dangote Group was not forthcoming.”
The source said after obtaining a search warrant, the commission sent its operatives to the head office of Dangote Group.
“We did not storm or raid the office because we allowed staff, customers and visitors to go in and out of the place. The search was justifiable because our operatives got the vital documents they wanted on foreign exchange allocations to Dangote Group, “he said.
Responding to a question, he declared: “As an anti-graft agency, EFCC will not join issues with Dangote Group but Nigerians should wait for the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
“No one or group can impede or delay investigation. We cannot be deterred, we will get to the roots of the forex allocations in 10 years.”
(Opera)