Metro / Crimes
EFCC Under Fire as Nigerian Youths Announce Nationwide Protest, Call for Its Reform
Israel Adeleke
In a move to put an end to assaulting innocent Nigerians, Nigerian youths have announced a nationwide peaceful protest aimed at demanding the reform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The announcement which was made public by PidomNigeria, an independent investigative platform, was scheduled to take place on Friday, July 5, 2024.
According to the platform, the youth are united in their call for transparency and accountability within the EFCC, which they believe has been mired in inefficiency and corruption.
The protest aims to bring attention to the need for comprehensive reforms within the EFCC to restore public trust in the agency.
PidomNigeria wrote: “After due consultations, we have agreed that the Time is 11am to 3pm. Venue: in front of EFCC corporate headquarters, and all zonal commands in Nigeria. Theme: A peaceful non violent protest.” Flyers for the protest will be out by tomorrow, 30th of June.
“We shall demand for the reform of EFCC @officialEFCC peacefully.” “They should respect the fundamental and constitutional rights of all Nigerians, especially youths”.
“They should stop assaulting innocent Nigerians. Invading homes, hotels and night clubs like armed robbers in the middle of the night, destroying and stealing properties.”
The platform gave a scenario that happened, that the EFCC did a shameful operation.
It wrote “A couple who did their wedding, and were enjoying their honeymoon in a hotel in another state, outside from where they did their wedding.
“EFCC operatives invaded the hotel to raid. They broke into all the rooms, including where the couple were lodged while they were both naked.
“They carried the husband for no reason, joined him amongst others they arrested in the hotel, and tagged him a suspected internet fraudster. He ended up in detention” the platform explained.
Speaking further, PidomNigeria wrote “EFCC should be more professional in their fight against cybercrimes and other forms of criminalities, by singling out their suspects, after due diligence and proper investigation, so they can go after them with watertight evidence and court order, without assaulting innocent people, or endangering anyone. just like the FBI operates.”
The platform also gave another scenario where the EFCC did another unprofessional operation.
It said “A young man flew into Nigeria from the US. He wanted to catch a local flight to his final destination, but the weather became bad with so many flight cancellations.
“His flight was rescheduled for the next day, so he opted to lodge in an hotel in town, so he could fly the next day.
“Unfortunately for him, EFCC invaded that hotel like armed robbers in the night, broke into all the rooms, arrested everyone, and left with them.
“The young man was tagged a suspected internet fraudster, and was paraded in their usual mugshot, with them facing back.
“He ended up in detention, he missed his flight, and lost so many of the things he traveled with back to Nigeria”
“That is why we are calling for the reform of EFCC, because anyone could be a victim of their unlawful arrest, and flagrant abuse of human right. Repost and share massively.” PidomNigeria wrote.
Recall that officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) launched a raid on the Annex and Regional hotels located in Isashi, Ojo, Lagos State.
Unfortunate for the EFCC, CCTV footage from the scene captured the moment the anti-graft agency operatives assaulted the hotel manager and other guests, both men and women.
According to investigative news platform, Pidom Nigeria, the officials stole ATM cards, money, and phones.
Pidom Nigeria wrote: “EFCC @officialEFCC officials early this morning invaded Annex and Regional hotels in Isashi ojo Lagos, owned by same person.
“They broke into rooms, assaulted guests and workers, stole ATM cards, money and phones. Shot sporadically at guests, injured innocent customers, and arrested lots of people. Nigeria is a Banana Republic.
“For clarity, the room they broke into in this CCTV footage belongs to workers and staff of the hotel. The person in there is the manager, whom they assaulted.
“She heard their noise and woke up from sleep by past 4:am. Only for them to break into the room and they started assaulting her.
“They did the same thing to most of the guests. They beat and assaulted many of them. Both women and men.
“The camera was installed in the workers general room by the management of the hotel, so workers don’t sell out the room, or engage in acts the hotel is against, or even smuggle things in there. It’s just for sleeping, but the convenience has no camera.
“They will definitely come out to deny this video, or claim the persons on the CCTV footage are not EFCC officials. See them leaving with guests they illegally arrested here. They are still in EFCC office in Lagos. Let’s wait for their group mugshot anytime soon with lies”. The platform wrote.
Metro / Crimes
Workers Land In Hospital After Task Force ‘Mistakenly’ Throw Teargas in Ikeja High Court Staff Bus
Fawaz Adebisi
Staff members of Ikeja High Court, Lagos Judiciary have landed at the Orile Agege general hospital after men of the state Task Force mistakenly threw teargas into the judiciary staff bus conveying them.
The incident happened on on Monday at Ile-ipo after Abule-egba when the workers were onboarding the state judiciary staff bus.
According to a witness who spoke with Freedom Times, the Task Force men were controlling herders who have their cows and rams on the road.
“They wanted to clear the road, so they were throwing tear gas, so it mistakenly entered our bus, many of us are injured and in the hospital right now,” the witness said.
However, as of the time of filing this report, some of the workers have received treatment and have the discharged.
Also, the force has not made any statement yet to this regard.
In a shocking turn of an event, the public and private development centre, a non-government organisation, (NGO) has revealed that over 53,000 inmates are awaiting trials across the 253 Correctional Centres in the country.
The non-governmental organisation, who hosted over 20 civil society organisations in Yola, the state capital to discuss the way forward on the huge number of inmates awaiting trials in correctional centres, disclosed this in a statement signed by the Head of Communication and Knowledge Management, Munachi Okoro.
Okoro stated, “The growing number of pretrial detainees, many held for years without trial under dire conditions, poses significant human rights concerns, overwhelming the justice system and correctional facilities.”
The statement added that the meeting will focus on communication strategies, resource management, and collaboration problem solving techniques for pro bono legal services.
Also, speaking at the meeting with the CSOs in Yola, the programme assistant of the centre, Hauwa Yusuf, said that the reforming of the pretrial detention in Nigeria phase ll project is supported by the US Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
The Adamawa State Programme Officer Barr. Fatima Bello, while speaking on the overall objectives of the PPDC project, said that the project aimed at deploying over 370 law clinicians and 50 pro bono lawyers to provide legal representation to 1,750 detainees annually.
According to Bello, this will reduce the pretrial population, and it will strengthen Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
Furthermore, she added, “The project aims to support collective efforts towards achieving a reduction in awaiting trial inmates for which more than 70 per cent of those in correctional facilities across Nigeria are awaiting trial.”
However, Bello pointed out that the court administration and case management project is aimed at improving capacity to reduce the challenges in the justice sector.
“The CACM project focuses on addressing the gaps in structures for case management in the courts which are weak or absent in some cases, and for which there are no document backup systems in place,” he stated.
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Metro / Crimes
How Qatar Escapes Danger as NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron, Others Linked to Failed Cocaine Exports to Saudi Arabia
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have said that its body has apprehended a wanted drug baron, Alhaji Suleiman Ganiu Aremu (a.k.a Barryshine), two years after he came under the radar of the anti-narcotics agency over his alleged role in four failed attempts to export cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos between 2022 and 2024.
The agency who disclosed this in a statement via its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Friday, September 13, said that, the suspect is the Managing Director/CEO of Barryshine Suleiman Nigeria Ltd.
Shading more light to the case, the agency elucidated that, his name first featured on November 13, 2022, when a female passenger on a Qatar Airlines flight to Saudi Arabia, Alhaja Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidika was arrested at the MMIA in possession of 400 grams of cocaine, which was concealed inside female footwear.
Furthermore, the agency claimed that, an investigation later revealed that one Abdullahi Olarenwaju Ramon, who is a brother to Suleiman hired the arrested drug courier as further facts emerged that the flight tickets and other travel expenses of the suspect were sourced by Alhaji Suleiman Ganiu Aremu.
Nevertheless, few days after the arrest of Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidika, another drug mule, identified as Lawal Lateef Oyenuga, was also arrested on November 24, 2022, with the same quantity of cocaine, 400 grams, concealed in male footwear while going to the same destination, Saudi Arabia.
Although, NDLEA noted that the suspect, Oyenuga confessed that one Wasiu Sanni Gbolahan (a.k.a Teacher) who was later arrested and convicted by the court, hired him for Suleiman.
The agency said “Lawal further alleged that Wasiu Gbolahan linked him up with the baron through one Igbono, who was later unveiled through investigation as Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye (a.k.a Igbono, Murphy, Femi Iwaya, Ade Iwaya, Baba Eje, and Ejeoto)”
Furthermore, While the investigation of the two cases subsisted and the manhunt for the baron was ongoing, two drug mules were arrested at the MMIA on June 21, 2024, on their way to Doha, Qatar.
“One of the suspects who was later identified as Aikhomoun Daniel (a.k.a Oladapo Olanrewaju) expelled in observation custody a total of 90 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.022kg, which he ingested, while the second suspect, Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji excreted 60 wraps of cocaine with a total weight of 662 grams.” the NDLEA said.
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