EFCC admits tampering with CCTV system of Akure; falsely claims videos of sexually assaulted women were doctored

On Sunday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said that it had compelled nightclub surveillance footage to be removed after its agents used violence on partygoers in Akure.

The raids, which took place late Friday and early Saturday, are still causing a stir across the country. Nigerians claim the agency showed no signs of having learned from the scandals surrounding the same raids in 2021 and 2022.

The EFCC claimed in a statement on Sunday night that its operatives were tracking alleged online scammers to nightclubs in the Ondo capital’s Alagbaka neighborhood. However, because online fraud is not a violent crime and the agency’s agents did not behave in accordance with contemporary best practices, Nigerians have mocked the organization for its haughtiness.

Numerous partygoers suffered serious physical harm, and some women claimed to have been sexually attacked. Videos showing their buttocks bruises were circulated on social media.

In response to criticism on Sunday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewole stated that agents had instructed club managers to take down CCTV footage, adding that this would help the anti-graft organization better examine the events leading up to the raid.

Anti-graft agents  “directed the removal of the CCTV device for further investigative works by the commission,” Mr Oyewole said. “It is in the custody of the EFCC with the CCTV.”

The EFCC agents arrived at the scene with their own cameras, so critics swiftly discounted the claim as baseless. Numerous people said the CIA was attempting to seize or obliterate proof of its agents’ involvement in using violence against defenseless civilians.

The EFCC further made up the lie that the recordings that were circulated online were edited to serve allegedly ambiguous purposes, claiming that because the operation adhered to “established norms,” there were no conflicts.

Nevertheless, the agency offered no proof for its allegation that the multimedia was perhaps altered. Peoples Gazette’s analysis turned up no proof of manipulation.

Full statement by the EFCC below

Arising from the misinformation and distortion of facts about the arrest of 127 suspected internet fraudsters by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Saturday, June 8, 2024, it becomes imperative to clearly present the true facts of the operation.

The Operatives executed a classical sting operation at two Clubs simultaneously in Akure based on credible intelligence, leading to the arrest of the suspected fraudsters. The operation, in line with the established ground norm for such engagement, was devoid of any incident as the Operatives conducted themselves professionally.

It was, therefore, shocking to be confronted with narratives, particularly from the social media, about brutalisation, including a trending video of two ladies showing bodies lacerated by whips. The Commission wants the public to discountenance this video as it may have been stage-managed to achieve motives that are unclear. The Commission will subject this video to forensic analysis to establish its falsehood and prepare a case against purveyors of this distasteful stunt.

The Commission wishes to state that no suspect was assaulted, brutalised or subjected to any dehumanising treatment during the Saturday operation. It is also false that tear gas was fired at the crime scene. Those familiar with the Commission’s operations know that EFCC personnel do not use tear gas during sting operation. The officers that carried out the arrests neither came to the scene of crime with canister of tear gas nor whips to inflict bodily injuries on suspects.

It is also important to state that no damage was done to the CCTV facility at the scene of the arrest. The device was removed by a staff of the Club at the instance of operatives of the Commission to preserve the footages for further analysis of the role of each of the arrested suspects in the alleged crime. Specifically, one of the arrested suspects, the manager of the Club, who confessed to the crime and directed the removal of the CCTV device for further investigative works by the Commission, is in the custody of the EFCC with the CCTV. He is assisting in the investigation of the crime.

It is needful to state, for the umpteenth time, that the Standard Operating Procedure of the EFCC foreclose the use of brute force or unprofessional conduct in the course of any operation. The EFCC is a civilised law enforcement agency with optimal respect for human dignity and the rule of law.

Meanwhile, profiling of suspects arrested at the scene of the crime has been completed. They will be prosecuted accordingly.

Dele Oyewale

Head, Media & Publicity

June 9, 2024