The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, has spoken out about the Department of State Services, or DSS, siege on its Lagos office on Tuesday morning.
WITHIN NIGERIA previously reported that when operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Command arrived at their office on No. 15 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, they were denied entry by agents of Nigeria’s secret police.
The DSS operatives used armoured personnel carriers to barricade the entrance, preventing EFCC officials from entering the facility.
In response, the EFCC described the development as strange in a post on its verified Facebook page, stating that the commission had cohabited with the DSS in that facility for 20 years without incident.
The post reads, “By denying operatives access to their offices, the Commission’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted.
“Cases scheduled for court hearing today have been aborted, while many suspects who had been invited for questioning are left unattended.
“Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates.
“All of these have wider implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes.
“The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter”.