Five suspected fake operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, have been arrested in Delta state, police in the state have said.
Police Public Relations Officer of the State Command, Bright Edafe, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday.
The suspects allegedly break into the homes of unsuspecting individuals and forcefully arrested and extort huge sums of money from them.
According to Edafe, they were arrested in their hideout in Asaba, the State capital.
“Following series of complaints received from members of the public especially from the youths, alleging that EFCC operatives usually break into their houses at night, forcefully arrest them, take them away and extort huge sum of money from them, which partly gave rise to the “END EFCC” protest in Ughelli that led to the burning of over thirteen trucks and destruction of properties, the Command did not relent, as intelligence gathered revealed that they may not be EFCC operatives as it is being alleged.
“On 16/11/2022, the Command received another complaint from a victim (name withheld) whose house was stormed at night by the syndicate, they gained entrance into the compound by scaling the fence, broke into his apartment, forcefully abducted and took him away in a white Toyota Hiace bus.
“The victim further stated that on getting to head bridge (i.e the boundary between Delta and Anambra State), they forcefully collected his phones from him, other valuables worth three million, seven hundred thousand naira (N3,700,000), made cash transfer of two million, five hundred thousand naira (#2,500,000) and told him that they will come for him again.
“Five other victims also reported to the Command and made statements of how they were robbed of about fifteen million naira (#15,000,000). It became clear that it is the activities of hoodlums pretending to be EFCC Operatives.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police Ari Muhammed Ali directed the Command Decoy Squad to investigate, ensure that they are arrested and brought to book. In compliance with this directive,
“On 23/11/2022, the Commander CP-Decoy ASP Julius Robinson, acting on credible information led operatives on a sting operation, trailed them to their hideout in a Hotel (name withheld) located in Asaba where they hibernate to plan their next operation and arrested five suspects”, the statement noted