EFCC Harassment: Nigerians Demand Probe, Punishment Of Officials

Ola Olukoyede, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has ordered the arrest of some operatives of the agency involved in assaulting a female hotel staff in Lagos.

The anti-graft agency officials had manhandled the staff of Regional Hotel, Ojo, Lagos, during a sting operation.

The video of the assault had gone viral eliciting mixed reactions form not a few Nigerians, who are now demanding accountability from the EFCC.

Not a few Nigerians have called on the federal government to call the EFCC to order amidst recent allegation of excessive use of force during their operations.

In one of the recent cases in Akure, Ondo state, armed EFCC officials had during, a raid, broken into a students’ hostels with hammers and other dangerous weapons, assaulting some students in the process.

For instance, Lere Olayinka, an aide to former Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, in a statement, on Thursday in Abuja, called for the sack of the EFCC chairman.

Reacting to the incident, Olukoyede said the officers who were sighted in a viral video assaulting the hotel staff in Lagos has been arrested, and are currently being interrogated.

He assured Nigerians that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any of the officers found to be culpable, adding that the EFCC would continue to do its job professionally in line with the rule of law.

According to Olayinka, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the action of the EFCC officials is shameful, noting that some of them are operating without the approval of their boss, Olukoyede.

He said the EFCC boss has failed in his responsibility to provide leadership in the commission, and should be sacked immediately.

Part of the statement, read, “The way EFCC is going, one day, and very soon, its operatives will be mounting road blocks to stop commercial vehicles and arrest their passengers.

“Olukoyede that announced to Nigerians on November 1, 2023 that he had banned sting operations at night should be asked why operatives of the agency are still carrying out sting operations at night and assaulting innocent Nigerians in the process.

“Or is 4am that EFCC operatives invaded Regional Hotels, Isashi, Ojo, Lagos State yesterday, in the afternoon?

“1am that armed EFCC operatives invaded clubs and lounges in Akure, Ondo State a few weeks ago was in the afternoon?

“It is becoming obvious that those in charge of the EFCC outside Abuja do not listen to Olukoyede and it can only be a function of incompetence on his side.

“He should just be shown the exit doors before we witness another #EndSARS protest.”

However, not a few Nigerians insist that the EFCC has been doing a yeo-man’s job in combating economic and financial crimes in the country, excess for the excesses of some of its men which need to be curtailed immediately.