EFCC Raid: We Will Assist Agency With Probe – Dangote Group Says
Dangote Group has said that following the visit by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to its head office in Lagos, it is ready to assist the anti-graft agency in its investigations.
The company in a statement on Sunday, January 7, 2024, by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communication, called for the patience and understanding of concerned stakeholders with a promise to keep them informed of any further developments.
The statement explained that the company received a letter from the EFCC on December 6, 2023, requesting for details of every foreign exchange allocated to it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2014 till date, adding that the request from the commission was not peculiar to the Dangote Group, adding that similar letters were sent to 51 other groups of companies requesting for same information spanning same period.
Chiejina said the Dangote Group responded to the EFCC to acknowledge receipt of the letter whilst seeking clarification on the subsidiaries or companies within the group that they require information on, adding that the company also requested for additional time to compile and properly present the extensive documentation spanning 10 years.
The statement further said; “However, the EFCC did not provide the clarification sought and also did not honour the request for an extension and insisted on receiving the complete set of documents within the limited timeframe.
“In spite of this constraint, we assured the EFCC of our commitment to providing the information and pledged to share documents in batches as we complete the compilation.
“On Jan. 4, our team delivered the first batch of documents to the EFCC. However, officers of the EFCC did not accept the documents, insisting on visiting our offices to collect the same set of documents directly.
“Whilst our representatives were still at the EFCC’s office to deliver the documents, a team of their officers proceeded to visit our offices to demand for the same documents in a manner that appeared designed to cause us unwarranted embarrassment,” Dangote Group said.
It said that to the best of its knowledge, no accusations of wrongdoing had been made against any company within its group, stressing that as a law-abiding and ethical corporate citizen, Dangote Group remained committed to providing the EFCC with all necessary information and cooperation, while it continued to play its key role in stimulating the domestic economy.
Dangote Group further said; “We have already delivered the first batch of documents and are actively working to compile and submit the remaining documents in good time, to aid their investigation.
“Our Group is a key contributor to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the largest employer in the private sector, one of the largest groups listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and one of the highest taxpayers in the country.
“We remain steadfast in our belief in Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law and its dedication to fostering an environment conducive for investment and value creation for both local and foreign investors,” it said.
