Heavy Security Surrounds EFCC Lagos Office Over Protest Fears

The Lagos head office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) situated in Awolowo Road, Ikoyi area, has been surrounded by a joint security team of heavily armed operatives.

The development is a result of a planned protest against the anti-graft commission.

Operatives of the Lagos State Anti-Crime Outfit – Rapid Response Squad (RRS), as well as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have taken over the surroundings and routes leading to the EFCC office, blocking the roads with patrol vans, heavy anti-riot gun trucks and Black Marias.

It was gathered that the protesters, under the tag – #ReformEFCC have outlined six key demands which will be submitted to various offices of the commission across the country.

Some of their demands include:

“Respect our fundamental human rights.

“Stop indiscriminate arrest and invasion of people’s homes.

“Stop destroying people’s properties in the name of sting operation.

“Stop the profiling of young Nigerians.

“Stop assaulting and manhandling Nigerians.”

It would be recalled that the EFCC had, earlier on Wednesday, raised an alarm about the planned protest, warning that it won’t allow any breakdown of law and order.

Again on Thursday, the EFCC alleged that a former governor and two ex-ministers are behind planned protests targeting the agency.

This claim was made by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, during a press briefing at the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Policy Committee in Abuja.

However, a Twitter user, @PidomNigeria said the protest is not sponsored by anyone and does not have a political undertone, but targeted at enforcing reforms in the EFCC.

The handle said: “This #ReformEFCC’s protest today is not sponsored by anyone, it’s not political, neither does it have any political undertone in it.

“It is purely a people centered organic peaceful protest, calling for a much needed reformation of EFCC, for a better performance. Anyone who is seen calling for Tinubu must go, or End APC at the protest venues, in order to give this peaceful protest a political coloration, will be handed over to the police by protesters.”