Group of youths in Akure, the Ondo State capital are protesting Saturday’s raid of some night clubs by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The youths who staged a protest to vent their anger against the operation of the anti-graft agency were carrying placards with different inscriptions. They called for the immediate release of the 127 young people arrested by the EFCC officials.
The protesters described the EFCC sting operation as illegal and a violation of human rights.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has meet with owners of night clubs in Akure following the raid by EFCC in early hours of last Saturday.
Owners of night clubs and hotels affected by the raid gave the accounts of how their facilities were vandalised by the officers of the anti-graft agency when they arrested some suspected internet fraudsters.
The EFCC had stated that its operatives, acting on intelligence reports, stormed the outlets to effect the arrest of 127 people allegedly holding “Yahoo Parties” and those who had been on the radar of the Commission.
Addressing the club owners at the meeting held at the Government House, Governor Aiyedatiwa sympathised with them on the damages done to their facilities and loss of revenue.
The Governor urged them to compile a record of all their facilities destroyed during the raids so they can use it to present their genuine cases to the necessary authorities.
Aiyedatiwa said the EFCC has the mandate to carry out arrest of suspects and must have acted on credible intelligence to carry out the raids.
He however concluded that innocent people affected by the operation should seek redress while those who have cases to answer should be allowed to defend themselves.
And the EFCC has denied dehumanising nor inflicting bodily injuries on any of the 127 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by operatives of its Ibadan Zonal Command on Saturday.
The Commission which said this in a statement signed by its Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale explained that the EFCC’s operatives executed a classical sting operation at the two clubs in Akure, Ondo state in line with the established ground norm for such engagement, devoid of any incident.
While it also added that no tear gas was fired according to news making rounds, it said it is surprised 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 EFCC asks the public to discountenance the video as it may have been stage managed to achieve motives that are unclear; it added that it will subject the video to forensic analysis to establish its falsehood and prepare a case against purveyors of the distateful stunt.
The Commission revealed that it has in its custody the CCTV device at the scene that would be used for further analysis of the role of each of the arrested suspects in the alleged crime and the manager of the Club, who confessed to the crime is assisting in the investigation.
While it further stressed that the anti-graft agency has optimal respect for human dignity and the Rule of Law, it disclosed that the profiling of the suspects has been completed and they would be prosecuted accordingly.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
