LAWMAKER representing Ondo East/West federal constituency at the House of Representatives Abiola Makinde has condemned an early morning raid on some hotels and nightclubs by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Saturday, June 8.
A statement by Makinde’s aide, Moshood Alli, on Saturday, described the raid as disturbing and an invasion of citizen’s privacy.
“Absolutely, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as Nigeria’s premier anti-graft agency, has a critical role in combating financial crimes. However, it is imperative that in the pursuit of justice, the EFCC adheres strictly to the principles of human rights.
“Reports of raids leading to violations of personal dignity and privacy, such as the incident involving a former Big Brother Naija housemate, highlights the need for the EFCC to conduct operations with respect for the law and human decency,” the statement read.
Makinde urged the EFCC to ensure that subsequent raids are conducted legally with proper warrants and without harm to individuals.
“The concerns raised by various incidents underscore the importance of accountability and the adherence to human rights standards to maintain public trust in law enforcement agencies. I’ll activate the State Director of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr Sunday Oyewole, to look into the matter. Any violations will be addressed between the two federal agencies,” he added.
Several lounges and hotels in the Alagbaka area of Akure were raided early Saturday morning by EFCC officials and many people were arrested, including a soon-to-be groom.
At least 50 persons were arrested on the suspicion of being internet fraudsters.
According to a report, the operatives seized many vehicles, smartphones and laptops during the operations, which occurred at about 1.00 a.m.
Despite a ban on midnight raids by the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukayode, in November 2023, the commission’s officials have continued to carry out operations in the middle of the night, clearly violating their chairman’s order.
On February 15, EFCC officials carried out sting operations in the wee hours of the day, taking away about 14 students of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.