The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Lagos State Command has increased security at its entrance in response to a planned protest. Reports indicate that operatives from the Lagos State Anti-Crime Outfit – Rapid Response Squad and the Department of State Services are among the security forces stationed on all routes leading to the EFCC office on Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.
Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC, disclosed on Thursday that intelligence from some Civil Society Organisations indicated that a former governor and two former ministers are behind the protests being organized against the EFCC. This development follows the commission’s earlier warning about groups planning protests against it.
A user on X.com, identified as #PidomNigeria, shared the demands of the protesting group, Concerned Nigeria Youths, in a letter dated July 4, 2024, addressed to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede. The protest, set to take place under the hashtag #ReformEFCC, includes demands such as:
– Respect for fundamental human rights.
– Cessation of indiscriminate arrests and invasions of homes/businesses in the middle of the night.
– Ending the stereotyping and profiling of young innocent Nigerian youths.
– More professional and civil operations by the EFCC.
The EFCC has acknowledged these demands and the context of the planned protest.
The planned protest against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will extend beyond Lagos, taking place in several other states across Nigeria, including Edo, Enugu, Kwara, Oyo, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory, among others.
