HURIWA Slams EFCC Arrest Of Igbo Sons As Ethnic Profiling

By Tosin Olatokunbo

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been accused of ethnic profiling against Igbo. The allegation was raised by a human rights body, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA on Wednesday which said the anti-graft agency has targeted more Igbo notable individuals in the last few months.

“The idea that whenever Igbo youths, may be, due to exuberance, are shown on videos to appear to be spraying humongous amount of cash at social or religious functions such as funeral rites or weddings, the next day, the principal characters seen in the videos who are Igbo are profiled and arrested at the airport or just somewhere and the next day, the newspapers are awash with propaganda demonising the arrested citizens of South East origin.

“But the same EFCC officials are never seen arresting or profiling northern youths similarly captured during high profile social or religious functions like the weddings of sons of prominent northern politicians who obviously are treated like sacred cows.
“In as much as we condemn advanced fee fraud, we condemn any activity of the EFCC that is deemed inimical to constitutional democracy and norms and principles of rule of law and due process,” HURIWA said in a statement signed by Emmanuel Onwubiko Onwubiko Wednesday.

HURIWA’ s claim comes few days after night club enterpreneur Pascal Okechukwu popular as Cubana Chief Priest was released by the EFCC after spending days in detention. The businessman detained by the commission on allegation of money laundry and tax evasion.
Recall also that another Igbo businessman Obinna Iyeigbu aka Obi Cubana was last year arrested by the EFCC on the same allegation of money laundry, and was later released after spending days in EFCC detention centre in Abuja.

The group also mentioned former Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano among other prominent sons of Ndigbo locked up on unproven allegations of tax fraud and money laundering, claiming that the EFCC looks away from suspects of northern extraction, and treated suspects from the area who have allegedly stolen public funds with more dignity.

The development appears not to go down well with HURIWA which criticised EFCC for concentrating its operations more in the south. The commission has totally left out the north in its operational dragnet, HURIWA said.

The rights body said the EFCC must adopt transparency and accountability in its operation by arresting anyone that flouts the law, irrespective of the part of the country they hail from. Religion or ethnicity must not form the basis for arresting people, it said in a statement, signed by its National Co-ordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.

Onwubiko also urged the Federal Government to probe the operations of the commission as it has become an oppresive instrument against innocent Nigerians. He condemned the anti-graft agency for illegally arresting people from their homes like kidnappers.