By Eric Patrick
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos State Command, has condemned the unannounced siege at their office on No.15 Awolowo road, Ikoji by agents of the Department of State Service, DSS, on May 30, 2023.
EFCC reveal that the siege is shocking because this has never happened to the commission.
According to EFCC, the entrance to their office was barricaded with armoured personnel carriers, depriving operatives access to their offices.
However, in an official statement posted on the Facebook page of the commission, reads;. Commission ’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted.
“We have cohabited with the DSS in that facility for 20 years without incident”, Says the commission.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission noted that cases scheduled for court hearing today have been aborted, while many suspects who had been invited for questioning are left unattended.
Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates.
All of these have wilder implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes.
The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter.
National Daily reported that some group of armed DSS officials allegedly sieged the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes commission, EFCC.
All efforts by the National Daily to contact the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, on his Twitter account proved abortive.
The reason, however, for the siege is yet to be known.