In a recent development on Monday, November 13, 2023, operatives from the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) apprehended five individuals at a residential Inn and Disney Chicken Eatery in Barnawa, Kaduna. The arrest followed credible intelligence pointing to their involvement in internet-related fraud activities.
The suspects, identified as Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila, and Solomon Olobatoke, were taken into custody without any resistance.
However, the situation escalated when six military personnel, who happened to witness the operation at Disney Chicken Eatery, attempted to forcefully release the detained fraud suspects. The intruders, consisting of four Air Force personnel (Lawal Abdullahi, Chukwuma Chidi Christian, Alfa Suleiman, and Emmanuel Ekwozor) and two students from the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) named Chidera Anuba and Joseph Tokula, were subdued and detained for the security breach.
In the aftermath, inter-agency communication and discussions between the EFCC and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) leadership were initiated to address the security concerns. Unfortunately, these talks reached an impasse on Friday, November 17, 2023, when some unruly NAF Officers, in a commando-style operation, stormed the Kaduna Command in an attempt to forcefully release their detained colleagues.
Despite the provocation and abuse of power, the EFCC demonstrated restraint and continued engaging with the NAF leadership. Ultimately, the combative Air Force personnel were released to the NAF Provost after undergoing proper profiling.
Dele Oyewale, the Head of Media & Publicity for the EFCC, emphasized the Commission’s commitment to carrying out its statutory mandate of tackling economic and financial crimes without any hindrance.
