EFCC flouts ban on night raid, ‘arrests’ FUTA students during operation

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ondo have reportedly raided some off-campus hostels at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in an overnight sting operation.

Sodiq Bashir, spokesperson of the FUTA students union, confirmed the development to TheCable Lifestyle on Wednesday.

Bashir, in a joint commentary with Olayemi Oluwasoromidayo, the students union president, said masked men in EFCC uniforms raided three lodges at the South Gate community of FUTA.

He said the raid, during which a yet-to-be-ascertained number of students were allegedly arrested, occurred at 3 am on Wednesday.

“They broke in, made unlawful arrests, destroyed properties, molested a female student, and inhumanly inflicted injuries on some others,” he said.

Footage obtained by TheCable shows students with bodily injuries. Others show individuals believed to be students being whisked away in private vehicles.

“I woke up with flashlights [beaming] on me. I was naked. I saw three men and my first instinct was to beg them not to touch me. I thought they were thieves or kidnappers. One removed his mask and told me he was EFCC,” one witness said in a voice note shared with TheCable.

“He waited for me to get dressed and asked that I take them to the apartment of guys with cars. They broke doors, told us to lie on the floor, beat some people. They took away phones and laptops. One even cocked his gun at us.”

Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson of the commission, did not respond to calls by TheCable Lifestyle to ascertain the nature of the raid.

The operation at FUTA comes a few months after the commission’s headquarters directed its operatives nationwide to stop carrying out sting operations at night.

In November 2023, EFCC operatives broke into off-campus hostels belonging to students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in a night raid that generated heated criticism of the commission’s operations and processes.

About 69 suspects were arrested during the raid for alleged fraud-related offences, most of whom were later cleared and released.

After a series of protests, Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC chairman, said the commission reviewed its arrest and bail procedure to “adhere to the rule of law and international best practices in the treatment of suspects”.

Sylvanus Tahir, the director of EFCC’s legal and prosecution department, also warned officers of the commission against unwarranted violations of the rights of suspects.

“it is time to have a paradigm shift and change the narrative. Henceforth, professionalism shall be the watchword. Let’s follow the best international standards worth our identity as a flagship law enforcement agency,” he said.

Bashir, while expressing shock at the raid, said the Ondo EFCC’s operation at FUTA amounts to an “illegal activity”.

He said the university community is working to secure the release of the arrested students.

“These agents of EFCC have breached the directives of their chairman and also trampled on the right to life which our students possess as Nigerians,” he said.

“We have disheartening security issues that the federal government needs to help us attend to but EFCC decided to add to our security.”