Human rights activist and lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has pointed out what he perceived as a fundamental flaw in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) approach and highlighted the importance of establishing a clear channel for complaints about the EFCC’s conduct, stating that such a measure would help rebuild public trust.

“As of today, the EFCC is suffering acute trust deficit…If you submit a petition and they don’t attend to it or you suspect the officials have collected money, there should be a channel to make a complaint so that the confidence-building process can start” he posited.

“This is an agency established by former president Obasanjo in 2003 primarily to fight corruption which has become dermic in our country… the primary reason for establishing the EFCC was not to fight internet fraudsters but because internet fraud has become such a pervasive thing, it is expected that the commission will tackle it head on,” Effiong explained.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Inibehe Effiong, discussed the recent tragic incident involving the EFCC and the killing of one of their officers during a sting operation in Anambra State.

The EFCC, In a statement, asserted that the situation was being sensationalised and that their actions were in line with legal procedures authorised by a competent court of law. However, Effiong raised concerns about the EFCC’s response to the incident.

“Those who put their life at risk to fight crime, when they lose their life, the society owes them at a minimum, empathy… but we must go beyond that to interrogate why that happened,” Effiong said, emphasising the need to investigate the cause of the officer’s death. He criticised the EFCC’s spokesperson for issuing a vague statement lacking detail and substance.

“I have read the statement of the EFCC spokesperson… it is a statement that is lacking a particularity, specificity. The details are not there, the substance of the statement, there is very little to it,” he said, urging for more transparency.

However, he argued that the EFCC’s approach to handling cases of internet fraud differed significantly from how it handled politically motivated corruption cases. “What I have found is that the EFCC seems to be operating a parallel procedure,” he said.

“The way they handle cases that are within their primary mandate which is political matters is different from the way they handle the so called yahoo boys.”

Regarding the EFCC’s justification for its operation, which claimed that the suspect was allegedly involved in ritual killings, kidnapping, and using internet fraud as a cover, Effiong questioned the timing of the EFCC’s statement.

“Between when this tragic incident happened and when the statement was released, if you look at the lapse of time, that is even questionable. We must demand change in the EFCC,” he stated.

Effiong called for a thorough investigation and proper legal proceedings, urging that if the suspect was indeed a fraudster, he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Effiong also addressed the increasing trend of individuals involved in criminal activities arming themselves, which he sees as a growing danger.

“Yes, entirely. But I’m saying could this have been prevented? Because someone has lost his life, should we wait for another operative to be killed and we go back to this conversation?” he asked. He warned that legitimising the possession of unlicensed firearms could have disastrous consequences.

“It is not okay for anybody to bear an unlicensed arm. I am saying that the EFCC should change their mode of operation.”

On the issue of firearm possession, Effiong pointed out that, under the Firearms Act, possessing an unlicensed firearm is a criminal offence. He also noted that many politicians in Nigeria possess firearms without proper licensing.

“Most politicians in Nigeria have firearms,” Effiong remarked. He also mentioned the constitutional right to self-defense under Section 33 but questioned whether it would apply in this case due to the lack of details.

Finally, Effiong expressed his belief that the EFCC, despite its flaws, should not be abolished.

“The EFCC is good and should not be abolished, however, let the executive secretary set up a special task force where Nigerians that have grievances can report directly to,” he suggested. (AriseNews TV)