EFCC bans officials from conducting sting operations at night

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced a new directive banning its operatives from conducting sting operations at night.

The EFCC is notorious for breaking into suspects’ homes in the dead of the night to carry out arrests, a modus operandi for which the commission has severally been criticised by many Nigerians.

In its latest operation, men of the anti-graft body stormed an off-campus hostel of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, rounding up about 70 students suspected to be internet fraudsters in the early hours of Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

Sources said officials broke into the hostel, located in the Oduduwa Estate area of Ile-Ife, with hammers.

The raid left the institution's students outraged, leading to a protest at the EFCC zonal office in Ibadan to demand the release of their arrested colleagues.

Reacting to this, the new Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, slammed an immediate ban on night raids by the agency.

This is contained in a statement issued by the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, on Wednesday evening. He noted that the new directive was in line with the newly reviewed procedures on arrest and bail of suspects.

"In line with the newly-reviewed procedures on arrest and bail of suspects by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has directed that sting operations at night time be stopped in all the Commands of the EFCC.

"He gave the directive in Abuja on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, in reaction to the arrest of 69 suspected internet fraudsters by operatives of the Ibadan Zonal of the Commission in Ile-Ife, Osun State," the statement read in part.

In a follow-up statement, the anti-graft agency announced a holistic review of its arrest, detention, and bail procedures to adhere strictly to the rule of law and international best practices in the treatment of suspects.

The EFCC vowed that, henceforth, no suspect shall be detained beyond a constitutionally allowed period without a remand warrant.

It directed its operatives to ensure "premium attention is focused on the rights of suspects, especially where arrest, detention and bail issues are concerned."

"Specifically, operatives of the Commission are not allowed to demand for professional certificates of sureties as a bail condition.

"Also, every demand for international passport of suspects would henceforth be exercised with discretion, depending on the nature of the case, personality and country of residence of the suspect," the commission added.