EFCC to sue four Air Force officials for attempting to forcefully free fraud suspects

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced its intention to pursue legal action against certain Nigerian Air Force (NAF) operatives who are alleged to have forcibly entered the EFCC’s Kaduna command with the aim of freeing individuals suspected of engaging in fraudulent activities.

A disturbance unfolded on Friday at the EFCC’s Kaduna office, where personnel from the anti-graft agency confronted NAF members in connection with the apprehension of suspected fraudsters. According to Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the EFCC, the agency’s operatives had apprehended five individuals earlier in the week at an inn and Disney Chicken Eatery in the Barnawa area of Kaduna based on credible intelligence. The suspects, namely Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila, and Solomon Olobatoke, were arrested without any incident.

Subsequently, NAF personnel—Lawal Abdullahi, Chukwuma Chidi Christian, Alfa Suleiman, and Emmanuel Ekwozor, along with Chidera Anuba and Joseph Tokula, two students of the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology—reportedly attempted to release the detained suspects by storming the EFCC office. All individuals involved in the attempt were subsequently arrested. Oyewale clarified that the NAF officers were released after undergoing proper profiling.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Oyewale confirmed that the implicated officers would face court charges upon the completion of the ongoing investigation. Emphasizing the principle that no one is above the law, he affirmed that the EFCC would adhere to due process in bringing the case to a resolution.

“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel, who were released on administrative bail by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday, November 17, 2023, will be brought to court at the conclusion of the ongoing investigation,” the statement reads. “The officers were released to their Service in strict adherence to the bail procedures of the Commission. The Commission reiterates the fact that no one is above the law, and the due process will be followed in bringing the case to a conclusion.”