Some youths in Akure, Ondo State, staged a protest against the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Monday, June 10, 2024, for raiding a nightclub on Saturday, June 8, 2024. They were said to have arrested about 127 people.
In a statement titled “EFCC’s Akure Arrests: Setting the Records Straight” and signed by the head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency asserted that the anti-graft agency did not manhandle or torture any of the arrested individuals, and they did not tamper with any property at the arrest scene.
The statement, which reads in part, states that “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 social media, about brutalization, 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 the 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 operations. The officers that carried out the arrests neither came to the scene of the crime with canisters of tear gas nor whips to inflict bodily injuries on suspects.”
The protesters have insisted that the federal government take a look into the operations of the agency, stating that it is not a crime to go to a club.
“When has it become a crime for citizens to enjoy themselves at nightclubs? The guys (EFCC personnel) just entered the nightclubs and started arresting our friends. Is it every youth in clubs that is into ‘yahoo yahoo?” One of the protesters, Mr. Femi Akinremi, queried.
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