- By Halimah Olamide
Scores of protesters have taken to the streets of Akure, the Ondo state capital today to register their grievances against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after its raid on Saturday.
NPO Reports that EFCC officials had raided two hotels on Saturday where over 120 suspects were picked up over allegations of internet fraud.
This morning, more than 100 protesters many of them carrying placards and chanting anti-EFCC songs, took to the major streets over the Saturday’s raid.
Accusing the EFCC officials who carried out the raid as “thieves” the protesters displayed many placards condemning the raid.
The officials had earlier been accused of snatching personal belongings of some of those arrested including i-watches, telephone handsets and ladies wigs and others.
They had also been accused of brutalising some of the guests at the party where the raids were carried out. Videos and photos of lacerated bodies were displayed at the weekend to establish the claims against the commission.
But the commission, in a statement by Dele Oyewale, spokesman, denied any wrongdoing in the raid.
He said most of the claims by friends of those arrested were to weaken the resolve to prosecute the suspects.
Oyewale had said the EFCC would not hesitate to prepare charges against those spreading falsehood against the commission.
He said, “The Operatives executed a classical sting operation at two Clubs simultaneously in Akure based on credible intelligence, leading to the arrest of the suspected fraudsters. The operation, in line with the established ground norm for such engagement, was devoid of any incident as the Operatives conducted themselves professionally.
“It was therefore shocking to be confronted with narratives particularly from the social media about brutalisation, including a trending video of two ladies showing bodies lacerated by whips. The Commission wants the public to discountenance this video as it may have been stage managed to achieve motives that are unclear. The Commission will subject this video to forensic analysis to establish its falsehood and prepare a case against purveyors of this distasteful stunt.
“The Commission wishes to state that no suspect was assaulted, brutalised or subjected to any dehumanising treatment during the Saturday operation. It is also false that tear gas was fired at the crime scene. Those familiar with the Commission’s operations know that EFCC personnel do not use tear gas during sting operation. The officers that carried out the arrests neither came to the scene of crime with canister of tear gas nor whips, to inflict bodily injuries on suspects.
“It is also important to state that no damage was done to the CCTV facility at the scene of the arrest. The device was removed by a staff of the Club at the instance of operatives of the Commission to preserve the footages for further analysis of the role of each of the arrested suspects in the alleged crime. Specifically, one of the arrested suspects, the manager of the Club, who confessed to the crime and directed the removal of the CCTV device for further investigative works by the Commission, is in the custody of the EFCC with the CCTV. He is assisting in the investigation of the crime.
“It is needful to state, for the umpteenth time, that the Standard Operating Procedure of the EFCC foreclose the use of brute force or unprofessional conduct in the course of any operation. The EFCC is a civilized law enforcement agency with optimal respect for human dignity and the rule of law.”