Crime
EFCC fights one another over looting of recovered assets
No fewer than 27 officers of the commission were reportedly dismissed for misconduct and fraudulent activities in 2024.
The agency spokesman, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on January 6, 2025, also indicated that the EFCC was investigating “a trending $400,000 claim of a yet-to-be-identified supposed staff of the EFCC against a sectional head.”
Two days later, 10 officers from the Lagos zonal command were detained over theft of operational items.
The detained officers are said to be answering questions regarding their inability to account for certain operational items that went missing under their watch.
A security source disclosed that the missing items included gold bars valued at over N1bn and jewellery, while between $350,000 and $400,000 had also gone missing.
While the news of the corrupt officers had yet to fade, another scandal was uncovered at the Kaduna Zonal Office of the commission on Wednesday.
An officer from the zone, identified as Polycarp, allegedly stole over $30,000 and other valuable exhibits.
The EFCC has remained silent on the Kaduna incident, which has added to the array of corrupt practices among the commission’s staff members.
Why operatives are stealing exhibits
A highly credible security source, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, described the theft of exhibits as “highly disappointing.”
The source blamed the trend on prevailing poverty and skyrocketing cost of living, adding that easy access to the exhibits made the theft inevitable.
He noted that mechanisms should have been instituted to prevent such incidents.
According to him, allowing unchecked access to a place where exhibits like dollars and gold bars are stored could be a serious temptation.
The source stated, “Many of them are exposed and understand the value of money and the worth of items kept in their custody. It is unprofessional not to have mechanisms in place to ensure safety and accountability.”
He explained that high-value items should ordinarily be deposited in bank vaults for safekeeping.
However, if they must remain on EFCC premises, they should be stored in a well-secured location with multiple layers of security measures put in place.
“If the items must be kept in the office, at least three credible officials, who will be held accountable, should have access. To access the exhibit room, all three officials must be present simultaneously, each holding a different key to unlock the secured area. One or two of them should not be able to access the place without the others being present,” he added.
On punitive measures for officials caught engaging in such acts, the source said, “First, outright dismissal, followed by prosecution. Such officers should be treated like the original suspects or even face harsher punishments to serve as a deterrent.”
He continued, “If such an officer has travelled out of the country, the agency has their biometrics on record and can utilise Interpol to track them down.”
The source also raised concerns about the potential fallout from such incidents.
“What happens if the suspect who owns the seized items wins the case at the Supreme Court and demands their return? That would become a major scandal and embarrassment.
“Some of these cases can drag on for up to 20 years. If the Federal Government eventually wins, those valuables are meant to be auctioned, and the proceeds paid into government coffers. Allowing such lapses is unacceptable,” he added.
A senior official of the EFCC, who asked not to be identified, said the development was embarrassing.
“It is not just a shame to us, but it is very embarrassing. Our chairman is a transparent man; that is why he is not hiding the misconduct.
“I am aware of some cases. One of them said the offer was too tempting, and he could not resist it. It is giving us a bad name,” he stated.
A security analyst, Mr Yemi Adeyemi, said no EFCC official had the right to tamper with evidence or exhibits.
“There is no excuse. The EFCC is too sensitive to have officials that cannot control themselves. The chairman must clean up his house,” he said.
A renowned analyst and criminologist, Jackson Lekan-Ojo, said no officer caught pilfering or tampering with exhibits should go unpunished.
He said, “There is no excuse for such misconduct. They (officers) should face the law. The EFCC must clean up its house and make sure that every officer sent out for raids does it professionally and without any blemish. Their job is quite a sensitive one.”
Recently, a popular crossdresser, Idris Okunoye, aka Bobrisky, in a leaked audio, purportedly accused some EFCC officers of collecting N15m from him to cancel a money laundering charge against him when he was arrested.
While Bobrisky has since denounced the audio, the viral tape dented the image of the agency.
EFCC audits exhibits
Findings by Saturday revealed that the recent criminal activities of the officers had caused disquiet within the EFCC, forcing its management to order an audit of recovered assets across its zonal offices.
A credible source in the agency confided in our correspondent that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyode, had directed zonal directors to restrict access to the ‘exhibit room’ and implement more surveillance.
The source said, “The chairman is not happy about the incidents and the backlash from the public. Since the Lagos incident where 10 of our officers were detained for alleged theft of exhibits, the chairman has ordered a full-scale audit of the recovered assets, including property, cash, materials, and other items.
“He also ordered restricted access to exhibit rooms and other classified sections at the zonal offices. He directed high surveillance in those places to ensure that they are under supervision 24/7.”
When contacted, the EFCC’s Head of Media, Oyewale, said the audit was an ongoing exercise.
He said recent developments in the commission were brought to the fore by an ongoing internal audit, adding that it was aimed at cleansing the system.
Oyewale said, “The development in the commission is triggered by internal cleansing that is ongoing. The executive chairman is determined to bring integrity and accountable conduct to the whole realm and the activities of the commission.
“Every audit is always informed by the need to bring sanity, remove wastage, block loopholes and tackle every form of disequilibrium in the system. It is a courageous development and a testament to the leadership to ensure that those who come to equity must come with clean hands.”
He denied allegations that the poor welfare of operatives was responsible for recent cases of theft.
“I want to say there’s no justification for fraudulent practices. Poverty and poor conditions are not a justification. When you fight corruption, you should know it will fight back.
“I think we need to commend what the chairman is doing to remove dead woods and bad eggs and to give the nation an anti-graft agency that can stand the test of integrity.
“Most of these advertisements against us are coming from detractors and people who are negatively affected by our internal cleansing. You should expect that! Twenty-seven people (sacked) in 2024, we expect that they will fight back. Whatever anyone is saying, it is corruption fighting back,” he added.
Outrage over night operations
This comes amid widespread condemnation of the EFCC’s night operations, which led to the killing of one of its operatives, Aminu Salisu, an Assistant Superintendent.
Salisu was fatally shot during a midnight operation in Awka, Anambra State, on January 17, 2025.
The incident occurred two months after the EFCC boss, Olukoyode, directed that sting operations at night be stopped in all the commands of the commission.
Instead of empathising with the commission on the killing of its officer in the Anambra operation, members of the public are questioning the operational protocols of the EFCC’s operations.
The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.
In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.
CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.
He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.
The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.
He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.
The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the death of a man who was allegedly stabbed by a suspected attacker after Friday prayers in Sokoto.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Rufa’i Ahmad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the deceased was among those involved in the incident that followed the stabbing of prominent Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukuwa.
According to Ahmad, the suspect used a knife to stab Lukuwa in the stomach immediately after the Jumu’at congregation.
He said the suspect was subsequently killed by a mob, while Lukuwa was rushed to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he is receiving treatment.
The PPRO added that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, saying the situation was under control and urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
The incident reportedly followed allegations that Lukuwa made remarks considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad, which had generated anger among some Muslim faithful.
A Sokoto-based gangster, Dahiru Maibarewa, had also reportedly threatened to kill Lukuwa over the alleged remarks, while demonstrations had taken place in parts of Sokoto metropolis.
NAN further reported that a coalition of Islamic groups had petitioned the Sokoto State Government and security agencies, calling for action against Lukuwa over remarks they described as capable of provoking violence.
At a September 4 press conference, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Yagawal urged Muslims to oppose what he described as blasphemous content by clerics, while calling for peaceful coexistence.
Yagawal, Leader of the National Sufi Council of Nigeria and a National Commissioner at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), said Lukuwa’s alleged utterances were unbecoming and capable of triggering violence among Muslim communities.
He said the coalition had called on the Federal and Sokoto State governments, as well as security agencies, to investigate and take appropriate action over the matter.
The Nigeria Police Force has allegedly arrested the General Manager of JKD Television/Hamada Radio Network, Kaduna, Charles Abah, and a security guard following a video produced by the station about Ibrahim Kabir Masari, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs.
The station’s management, in a statement issued on Friday, alleged that police operatives invaded its premises while searching for a staff member, Zainab Salihu Yabagi, who presented the video explainer.
According to the management, the officers insisted on seeing Yabagi in connection with the video before arresting Abah and the security guard.
The two men were subsequently taken to the Kaduna State Police Command, the station alleged.
The management described the arrests as unacceptable and called for their immediate release.
Amnesty International Nigeria also condemned the incident, describing the alleged raid as an “unlawful and outrageous invasion” of the station’s premises.
The organisation alleged that Abah and the security guard were arbitrarily arrested, adding that police authorities had been seeking Yabagi over the video and had previously declared her wanted.
Amnesty International said the incident reflected a wider pattern of alleged attempts to intimidate newsrooms and create a climate of fear among journalists in Nigeria.
It maintained that public officials, regardless of their positions, should remain open to scrutiny and criticism in the public interest.
JKD TV/Hamada Radio Network is chaired by Yusuf Mamman, a former Nigerian ambassador to Spain and former spokesman for former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.
A 20-year-old woman has recounted how a Nigerian man dragged her into a wooded area in Wrexham, Wales, and raped her after offering to escort her home from a night out.
The victim, whose identity has been withheld, said the attack occurred on September 7, 2025, after 24-year-old Gift Oladele approached her while she was walking home.
According to an account published by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Oladele told the woman that he was heading in the same direction and offered to accompany her.
However, when they reached an isolated area, he allegedly grabbed her over the mouth and dragged her into the woods.
“He was a lot bigger than I was. I tried pushing him away, but he overpowered me,” the woman said.
She said Oladele covered her mouth and prevented her from calling for help before violently assaulting her.
The victim said she feared that she would be killed after Oladele allegedly asked if it was her first experience of rape.
“My brain just switched into survival mode. It was weird. It was either I do what he says and get home to my mum, or he is going to kill me,” she recalled.
She said the attacker struck her six times on the head and left bruises on her body.
According to her, after the assault, Oladele allegedly told her, “I think you’ve had enough now. At least you have been raped by someone good-looking.”
She also alleged that he threatened to track her down if she reported the incident and warned that he could take photographs of her and publish them online.
Despite the threats, the woman immediately told her parents what had happened after arriving home at about 3:30am, prompting her father to contact the police.
“I felt numb. I was hysterical. My brain couldn’t figure out what had just happened,” she said.
Oladele was arrested the following day at his cousin’s residence in Wrexham. Police reportedly discovered that he had attempted to conceal a mobile phone, which subsequently revealed internet searches relating to sexual attacks.
Oladele was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court in April to 17 years in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. He was also given an extended licence period of eight years, bringing the total sentence to 25 years.
He had been convicted at Mold Crown Court in March after denying the offences and claiming that the victim had consented.
The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order protecting the victim for life.
At the time of the Wrexham attack, Oladele was reportedly on bail over another rape allegation in Manchester dating back to November 2024. He had also previously been jailed in 2022 for a sexually motivated attack.
Oladele, a Nigerian citizen born in Italy, had previously challenged attempts by UK authorities to deport him to Nigeria on human rights grounds.
Following his earlier prison sentence, the authorities sought to deport him, but he argued that removal would violate his right to private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
An immigration tribunal subsequently ruled in his favour, holding that his deportation would be disproportionate. Two subsequent appeals by the Home Office were also rejected.
Reacting to the decision, the victim’s mother questioned why her daughter’s rights appeared not to have received similar consideration.
Wrexham Chief Inspector Caroline Mullen-Hurst described Oladele as “a dangerous predator” and commended the victim for her courage in reporting the attack.
She said Oladele showed no remorse for his crimes and forced the victim to relive the traumatic experience during the trial.
The victim said the assault had continued to affect her physical and emotional wellbeing, including making it difficult for her to eat.
She added that there were times when she cried uncontrollably and struggled with thoughts about continuing to live.
A suspected motorcycle thief has been beaten and burnt to death by a mob in Ikpe Ikot Akpan Village, along the Ikot Ekpene–Uyo Road in Akwa Ibom State.
The incident occurred at about 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, after the man was allegedly caught attempting to steal a motorcycle belonging to a resident, identified as Idoroenyin Udo.
According to the police, the motorcycle owner resisted the alleged theft and raised an alarm, prompting residents to chase and apprehend the suspect.
Instead of handing him over to the police, however, the mob allegedly attacked him and subsequently set him ablaze. He suffered severe burns and died at the scene.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has launched an investigation and deployed operatives to the area to identify and arrest those involved in the mob action.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, condemned the incident and warned residents against jungle justice.
He stressed that an accusation does not amount to guilt and urged residents to hand suspected criminals over to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution.
The police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend everyone connected with the incident, adding that those found culpable will face the full weight of the law.
-
News4 days agoMajor Generals to Receive Up to ₦25.91m Yearly as Tinubu Approves New Military Pension Structure
-
News4 days agoAnambra Community Petitions Soludo Over Erosion Caused by Illegal Sand Mining
-
Crime4 days agoMurder of Aiza Nwosu: Niece, 12 Suspected Cultists Arrested, Nephew at Large
-
Crime4 days agoAnambra Police Deny N600,000 Bribe Demand, Explain Arrest of Suspected Cultist’s Sister
-
Politics4 days ago2027: Former Deputy Governor Resigns From APC
-
Entertainment4 days agoDavido Reveals How Dangote Drove His Mother Home
-
News2 days agoFCC Urges Enugu Youths to Prepare for Federal Job Opportunities
-
Crime4 days agoWoman Recounts Rape By Nigerian Jailed 17 Years In UK