THE BRITISH government has issued a strong warning to prospective Nigerian students and other international students in the United Kingdom against money laundering and other related criminal activities.

The UK’s warning followed a report from its National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) which revealed that international students’ bank accounts have been a tool for money laundering in the country.

According to a statement issued in Abuja by the United Kingdom through the Nigeria Ministry of Education, NECC said international students are often targeted through social media platforms by scammers who use their accounts for third party transfer.

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The NECC stated that the targeted students are usually coerced into using their accounts for a fee after the completion of the transfer.

It disclosed that 99 bank accounts were discovered and frozen in 2019 noting that most of the accounts belonged to international students.

Such bank accounts, the NECC explained, were used for illicit deposit transfers amounting to over  three million Euros.

Reiterating its commitment to rid itself of such activities, the United Kingdom said it would terminate the studentship of any international student found culpable of the crime.

The statement further noted that visas for international graduate students are set to increase in 2020 owing to the government’s plan to introduce a post-study work visa.

Lukman ABOLADE

Investigative Reporter at International Centre for Investigative Reporting | Author Page

Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94