Despite Ban on Night Raids, EFCC Officials Continue Breaking Into Suspect Homes at Midnight Like Robbers

Despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ‘s directive banning night raids, its officers have continued conducting operations during prohibited hours, leading to recent tragic consequences.

The EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, issued the directive on November 1, 2023, barring night raids across all commission commands. The decision came after the controversial arrest of 69 suspected internet fraudsters in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

In response, many of the suspects were released, and the profiling of others was promised to be expedited. The EFCC stated it would strictly adhere to the rule of law in executing its mandate, but it has often broken its own directives. 

On January 17, 2025, an EFCC officer was shot dead, and another critically injured during a ‘night raid’ in Ifite, Awka, Anambra State. The operation, carried out by officers from the Enugu Zonal Command, was said to have targeted a cluster of suspected internet fraudsters, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Boys.”

According to the EFCC, the officers were at a two-storey building on Dr J.O. Ukwutinife Close, where 37 suspects were initially arrested. However, one suspect, Ikechukwu, resisted arrest after spotting the operatives through a CCTV camera. Ikechukwu reportedly opened fire, killing an investigator named Salisu and injuring another officer.

EFCC, in a press statement, stated that it recovered items, including laptops, iPads, and recording devices from Ikechukwu and was taken into police custody to face trial for the murder and related offences. EFCC condemned the attack and vowed to respond decisively to future assaults on its personnel.

 The EFCC will not fold its arms and allow its officers to be killed in cold blood. Every subsequent attack on any officer will be met with the full force of the law,” the statement read.

The commission also warned that internet fraudsters are increasingly armed and involved in violent crimes such as kidnapping and ritual killings, urging the public not to underestimate the threat they pose.

While the EFCC condemned the alleged attack on its personnel leading to the killing of its officer, the continued night operations, however, raise questions about adherence to internal protocols and the safety of operatives deployed during high-risk assignments.

It will be recalled that West Africa Weekly detailed how the EFCC has continually treated suspects based on socio-economic divides, using different keywords. In certain instances, the commission employs more aggressive keyphrases to describe their activities on the suspects, such as “raids” and “parades,” when dealing with less affluent individuals, while opting for more subdued approaches, like “invitations,” for affluent suspects, including politicians and their associates. 

EFCC frequently uses terms like “raids” and “parades” in cases involving individuals from less privileged backgrounds, according to keyword searches on social media. One such instance before the recent incident involving its officers was the night raid invading Annex and Regional hotels in Isashi, Ojo, and Lagos in June 2024, allegedly breaking into rooms, assaulting guests and workers, and stealing ATM cards, money, and phones.

In another instance, the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) conducted an ‘illegal night raid’. Thirty individuals, including 14 undergraduates from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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