The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied allegations of using brutal force in the arrest of 127 suspected internet fraudsters, including two women, at two clubs in Akure, Ondo State.
In a statement on Sunday, June 9, 2024 titled “EFCC Akure Arrest: Setting the Records Straight,” EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale clarified the circumstances of the arrests and dismissed accusations circulating in a trending video.
Oyewale asserted, “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.”
Addressing claims about damage to the club’s CCTV system, Oyewale explained, “The CCTV device was removed by a staff member of the club at the instance of EFCC operatives to preserve the footage for further analysis. Specifically, the manager of the club, one of the arrested suspects, confessed to the crime and directed the removal of the CCTV device for further investigative work.”
The EFCC emphasized that the video circulating on social media would undergo forensic analysis to verify its authenticity. Oyewale added, “The Commission will establish the falsehood of the video and prepare a case against the ‘purveyors of the distasteful stunt.’”
He further stated that the profiling of the suspects had been completed and assured that they would be prosecuted accordingly.
“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,” Oyewale reiterated, urging the public to disregard the misleading video.
