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.
Chief Sir Joseph Ebere Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group of Companies, popularly known as Jezco, has regained his freedom after spending several days in the custody of his abductors.
Ezeokafor, the father of popular social media personality Jowi Zaza, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday while on his way to a prayer ground in Awka, Anambra State.
The businessman was reportedly released near the boundary between Anambra and Enugu States, close to Ebenebe, near Awka. A family member was said to have picked him up late at night after his release.
His freedom followed ransom negotiations between the kidnappers and his family. The abductors had initially demanded N700 million before reportedly increasing the ransom to N1.5 billion.
However, following negotiations, the family eventually agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to secure his release.
Details of the final amount agreed upon, including whether the full sum was paid before or after his release, were not immediately available.
His release has brought relief to his family, friends, business associates and well-wishers, following widespread concern over his abduction across Anambra State and beyond.
Ezeokafor is the founder of Jezco Oil and Lubricants, a company he established in 1980 and subsequently expanded into other areas of manufacturing and business.
The circumstances surrounding the abduction and release, as well as the identities of the abductors, remain unclear.
Relatives of some of the 52 kidnapped residents of Borno State have resorted to selling their houses in anticipation of ransom demands by the kidnappers.The victims were kidnapped by gunmen from different parts of the state on April 15.The spokesperson for the families of the victims, Hassan Yati, said that one of the relatives whose two sons were kidnapped had been defrauded of N1.5m out of the N3m demanded by individuals posing as the abductors.He said the family later discovered that the actual terrorists had neither demanded the money nor authorised anyone to collect ransom on their behalf.Yati added that the incident had compounded the financial burden on families already struggling to cater to their children.He also revealed that a woman whose only daughter was kidnapped had sold her family house in the Biu Local Government Area of the state.“Initially, we thought it was money the kidnappers wanted. One of the parents with only daughter kidnapped told me she sold her family house in Biu in anticipation, only to hear otherwise.“Even me, I put our family house up for sale, but no one is talking to us again,” he stated.Yati said he decided to sell his family house because his younger brother and his wife were among those abducted on April 15.
He explained that he had been under pressure from other relatives of the victims, who accused him of withholding information about efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.“The rest of the parents bombard me with calls and messages. They now accuse me of hiding information,” he said.Yati said efforts to get the attention of the government had so far yielded no result, leaving the families to endure what he described as prolonged silence from the authorities.A parent who sold her house, Monday Bako, expressed frustration, saying her daughter was kidnapped on January 13.Bako, a food vendor, said, “They kidnapped my daughter since 13th of January till today. I have no idea of where they are and who held her captive. We have not heard anything about her and others abducted in our community.“I later sold my house to raise money in case we hear any information. We thought they would demand ransom but unfortunately, nothing has been demanded.”Another relative, whose wife and three-month-old baby are in the terrorists’ den, appealed to the government to expedite action towards their release.“We are tired of waiting. We are dying in silence. Our appeal to the government is for them to come to our aid,” the source said.
Headline
The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested 14 kidnap suspects through intelligence-led operations, which busted major kidnapping syndicates operating in the state.
Police recovered some items, which included: five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns; one locally-fabricated firearm, 310 rounds of live 7.62 x 39mm ammunition; eight live cartridges and seven AK-47 empty magazines.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday in Enugu on the recent successes recorded by the command in the state against coordinated syndicates of kidnap gangs.
The commissioner said that recently, in separate joint operations, security operatives rescued kidnapped victims at Ogbozara Community in Nsukka LGA and Owukpa Community in Ogbadibo LGA of Benue State, with several exhibits, including live ammunition, recovered.
According to him, most recently, one of the victims abducted from a Church at Inoyi, Affa Community in Udi LGA, was rescued on Aug. 2.
“A joint, intelligence-led operations subsequently led to the rescue of the remaining two victims, the arrest of three suspects, the neutralisation of one suspect, and the recovery of ransom money, firearms, ammunition and other incriminating exhibits.
“Further intelligence-led operations by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Violent Crime Response Unit (AK-VCRU) led to the arrest of two additional male suspects linked to the Affa Church kidnapping.
“The duo, who fled to Port Harcourt following the operational pressure mounted by joint security operatives, were traced and arrested in Port Harcourt and brought back to Enugu.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that after fleeing Enugu, the suspects regrouped with their cohorts in Port Harcourt and abducted another victim, who was released after a ransom of ₦5 million was paid,” he said.
The commissioner said that in a sustained offensive against kidnapping and other violent crimes, 12 additional suspects were earlier arrested through human and technical intelligence-led operations conducted in different parts of the country.
He said that the suspects were arrested on various dates in June, July and August 2026 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kwara and Taraba States.
Giwa said investigation indicated the suspects are members of an organised criminal network operating from different parts of the country, adding they converge in Enugu State to plan and execute kidnapping operations before returning to their respective locations.
He said that the network was aided by an Enugu-based member, who operates a tricycle and provides transportation for the gang members, their firearms and other criminal implements to and from operational locations.
The state police boss said that another Enugu-based member provides intelligence that enables the gang to evade security surveillance and identify suitable targets and locations.
“The suspects have, during interrogation, confessed to involvement in several recent and past kidnapping incidents across Enugu State, including along Enugu–Ugwuogo–Opi–Nsukka Road; Obioma–9th Mile–Umulumgbe–Okpatu Road; Eke–Affa–Egede–Ezinze axis; and various locations in Ezeagu LGA.
“Specifically, preliminary investigation has linked the suspects to the following armed kidnapping incidents: The abduction of a male victim at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa, Ezeagu LGA, on May 25 during which ₦5.5 million was obtained as ransom.
“The abduction of two male victims and the shooting and murder of a female victim at Obioma, Udi LGA, on May 9 during which the gang obtained twenty-eight thousand US Dollars ($28,700) as ransom.
“The abduction of two male victims along the Eke–Ezinze Road, Udi LGA, on April 10 for which Seventy Thousand US Dollars ($70,000) was obtained as ransom.
“The kidnapping of seven victims at Obinaofia, Ezeagu LGA, on April 12 during which ₦25 million was obtained as ransom as well as other kidnapping incidents and ransom payments which the suspects disclosed during interrogation,” he said.
He said that the suspects laundered and concealed proceeds of their criminal activities through investments in livestock and different properties, lavish spending and other conspicuous consumption, as well as leisure and overseas trips.
The commissioner noted that further investigations would establish the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent-crime incidents within and outside the state, identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, and recover additional firearms, ammunition.
“The command will also recover other criminal proceeds and finally after the extensive investigations they will be charged to court in accordance with extant laws,” he added.
The incident reportedly occurred on August 12, 2026, at Gwamma Village in Bauchi Local Government Area, where the suspect was said to have allegedly laced her husband’s meal with a poisonous substance.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Nafiu Habib, said the police received a distress call at about 7:40pm from an anonymous woman in the Wunti Dada area of Bauchi.
He said operatives attached to the ‘C’ Division, Tafawa Balewa Estate, immediately responded to the report and rushed the victim to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital for medical attention.
According to Habib, the victim was still receiving treatment and was in stable condition as of the time of the report.
He added that detectives recovered an empty bottle suspected to have contained the poisonous substance, alongside remnants of the food allegedly contaminated by the suspect.
The items, he said, had been preserved as exhibits to aid the ongoing investigation.
Following the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.Law Enforcement
Habib said the suspect would be prosecuted after the completion of the investigation, while the command urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the police.
The command’s spokesperson, Peter Aondongu, disclosed t] is while giving an update on the incident in a telephone interview on Thursday, as he noted that the baby had been recovered.
“I can confirm to you that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of a newborn baby in Gboko on Tuesday.
“Some of the suspects were earlier transferred to the state headquarters in Makurdi while other suspects are in police custody at Gboko division right now,” the PPRO said.
The baby, according to sources, was allegedly stolen from his mother in the hospital a few hours after he was delivered on Tuesday.
The incident reportedly attracted family members, sympathisers and other concerned persons to the hospital, creating tension within and around the facility. It was also gathered that security operatives were subsequently deployed to the healthcare centre to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
An eyewitness who craved anonymity told journalists on Wednesday that the alleged thief had been following the baby’s mother disguised as a nurse working in the hospital. According to the eyewitness, the baby was said not to be responding at the time he was born, which prompted the nurse to move the mother and the baby to a ward for further care.
The eyewitness alleged that shortly after they were moved to the ward, a woman, who camouflaged as a nurse, approached the mother and asked to examine the baby again.
It was later that they discovered that the newborn baby was missing.
“Immediately after the baby was born, the infant did not cry as expected. The nurse on duty reportedly intervened, and the newborn eventually responded normally.
“Thereafter, both the mother and the baby were taken to a ward. Not long after, an alleged child trafficker approached the mother of the newborn under the pretence of being one of the nurses.
“The suspect claimed they wanted to check the baby once again. The trafficker then took the baby from the mother and headed toward the labour room.
“Sensing something amiss, the mother-in-law who had been with her daughter-in-law followed and stood at the labour room’s entrance, but she was instructed to step back, with assurances that everything would be fine; so she complied. Shortly afterwards, the strange woman disappeared with the newborn baby,” the witness stated.
It was gathered that while searching for the baby, the nurses on duty reportedly denied taking the baby from the ward and also said the woman who allegedly presented herself as a nurse was not a member of their team.
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