The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) issued a caution to the public on Wednesday after some of its operatives were recently attacked in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a statement, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed that on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, seven of its operatives, who were conducting a routine verification exercise of a surety named Azeez Kazeem Oluwakemi, were attacked and held hostage by staff and students of the Federal College of Forestry, Idi-shin Estate, Ibadan.
Oyewale explained that the operatives were at the college to verify the address and identity of Oluwakemi, who had served as a surety for Alakinde Khalid Kolawole, a suspected internet fraudster held by the Commission.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
A surety verification exercise is a common law enforcement practice aimed at confirming that a suspect’s bail conditions are met. This is why the EFCC’s operatives were at the college to carry out the procedure.
“For some inscrutable reasons, students and staff of the college went on a frenzy of attacks against operatives of the EFCC who were on an authorised assignment,” Oyewale stated.
He further stated that the EFCC’s team had duly informed the college community about the purpose of their mission, despite which the incident occurred.
“Two main entrance gates to the college were barricaded with a car believed to be owned by one of the lecturers of the college,” Oyewale explained.
“The bus that conveyed operatives to the college was vandalised, even as students and staff of the college threw stones and dangerous objects at the vehicle.”
Oyewale explained that a rescue team was dispatched to successfully free the seven operatives who had been held hostage by the unruly crowd. He noted that the EFCC operatives showed restraint and refrained from using force despite the unprovoked attack.
He also clarified that no student or staff of the college was shot, as armed operatives merely fired into the air to disperse the unruly crowd.
“The Commission wishes to assure the public that it will continue to perform its duties in line with its mandate, and unprovoked attacks against personnel of the EFCC will no longer be tolerated,” Oyewale said