In a brazen show of defiance, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have once again plunged Nigerian communities into fear this time in Suleja, Niger State, conducting midnight raids despite a standing order from their Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, banning such operations.
Investigations by newsmen revealed that EFCC personnel stormed the APC Quarters in Suleja repeatedly over several nights, breaking into homes and arresting residents in the dead of night. CCTV footage obtained by the outlet confirmed that the raids occurred around 3 a.m., with two Coaster buses spotted transporting the officials and their detainees.
Residents who spoke to news described the scene as “lawless,” “terrifying,” and “a clear act of impunity.”
“The EFCC personnel do not just come; they break into homes and cart away any properties they see,” a visibly shaken resident recounted.
“They come like armed robbers, and before you know it, they’ve broken your doors, turned your house upside down, and arrested people without explanation.”
Another resident narrated how innocent citizens were rounded up and detained for days without cause.
“A man in our area was arrested and kept in custody for four days. He was later released when they discovered he wasn’t even guilty of anything,” the source said bitterly.
The raids, which began last Wednesday, have left many families traumatized. Some have reportedly fled the community for fear of being targeted next.
“It’s not just the invasion itself,” another resident said. “It’s the horror of being jolted out of sleep by men who break down your doors and drag you away in the dark. The torture of being wrongly accused and only later told you’re innocent, is unbearable.”
This latest operation directly contradicts the directive issued by the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in November 2023, prohibiting night raids following national outrage over similar incidents.
At the time, the EFCC announced through an official statement:
“In line with the newly revised procedures on arrest and bail of suspects, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has directed that sting operations at night time be stopped in all EFCC Commands.”
That policy shift came after a controversial night raid at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, where 69 students were forcefully arrested in their hostels by EFCC operatives. Videos from the incident, showing students being beaten and herded into buses sparked widespread condemnation.
Yet, barely a year later, the agency appears to have returned to the same discredited tactics. In February 2024, similar midnight raids were reported at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), where operatives allegedly broke into students’ lodges around 2 a.m.
The Suleja operation now reinforces growing concerns that EFCC field agents are operating beyond the control of the commission’s leadership.
Critics have described the conduct as a national embarrassment, accusing the anti-graft body of “lawlessness under the cover of law.”
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC has remained silent on the Suleja incident. But Nigerians are once again asking the same question: Who will police the anti-corruption police?