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Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has voiced his discontent with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he describes as a lopsided crackdown on naira abuse, accusing the agency of prioritizing entertainers while overlooking more severe cases of corruption.
Speaking during an appearance on Nollywood On Radio, the actor acknowledged the need for national values like respect for the naira but questioned the agency’s approach, particularly its growing scrutiny of public figures in the entertainment industry.
“Just because something is cultural doesn’t make it right,” Okanlawon said, pointing to widespread disregard for maintenance as one of the country’s problematic norms. He suggested that instilling respect for national symbols could be a positive step, but emphasized that the EFCC’s current focus might be misplaced.
“They are saying have respect for the naira, have respect for your country, maybe that is the way to do it,” he said. “But I also think there are so many issues with corruption and crime going on in the country across different segments of people. So this move by the agency to come against entertainers is a bit too much in the light of everything else that we are trying to deal with.”
Okanlawon stressed that public trust in the EFCC would be stronger if the agency was more visibly active in prosecuting high-level corruption. “If every day we hear about corrupt officials, politicians, or organisations being brought down by the agency, we’d be more likely to trust that they’re acting in our best interest,” he added. “Then, if they ask us to stop something like spraying money, we’d likely obey without question.”
His comments come amid a wave of high-profile cases involving naira abuse. TikTok influencers TobiNation and TDollar were recently sentenced to six months in prison for the offense. Businessman E-Money was also briefly arrested on April 29 for allegedly abusing the dollar but was released a day later.
Other entertainers have come under EFCC scrutiny, including singer Terry Apala—remanded at Ikoyi Correctional Centre—and actors Iyabo Ojo and AY Makun, who recently confirmed they were summoned by the agency regarding incidents of money spraying.
The EFCC ramped up its enforcement of Section 21 of the CBN Act in 2024, a law that prohibits the misuse of Nigeria’s currency.
Watch him speak below…
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#DeyemiOkanlawon
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