EFCC operatives to face disciplinary panel over alleged assault of woman

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has set up a disciplinary panel to investigate two operatives accused of assaulting a woman during their team’s raid on a hotel in Lagos last week.

A press statement by the commission on Sunday said the chairperson of the anti-graft agency, Ola Olukoyede, raised the committee “to look into the case” which happened at Regional Hotel, Ojo, Lagos, on Thursday.

“Olukoyede ordered the arrest of the two officers and has directed them to appear before a joint Disciplinary Team comprising the Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee, APDC and the Department of Ethics and Integrity,” said the statement signed by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.

The press statement, like the previous ones from commission about the incident since Thursday, did not reveal the identities of the two officers.

The commission repeated on Sunday that the officers were caught on camera assaulting the woman during the operation at the Lagos hotel.

The two officers are billed to appear before the dsciplinary panel at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, 1 July, the commission said on Sunday.

It added that the disciplinary panel is expected to investigate the allegations against the officers “and recommend appropriate disciplinary measures to be taken against them.”

Mr Olukoyede “stressed that no stone will be left unturned in getting the officers to account for their unprofessional conduct,” the statement said further.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the EFCC chair ordered the arrest of the the two officers captured on camera assaulting a woman in a hotel room in Lagos on Thursday.

Video clip

A video clip which went viral online on Thursday showed about five EFCC operatives in tactical vests break into a room through the door. As soon as they entered the room, one of them began to slap repeatedly a woman they met seated on the bed.

The woman did not try to fight back or struggle with the operatives.

EFCC described the woman as a staff member of the hotel.

Social media commentators, who also shared different video clips capturing scenes from the EFCC operation, said both the staff and guests of the hotel were assaulted by the commission’s operatives.

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The operatives led the woman out of the room after the short scene. Two of the operatives could be seen inspecting the drawer of a table in the room. One of them picked up something, which was not clear in the video clip reviewed by our reporter, before leaving the room.

“This operation led to the arrest of a sizable number of suspects who are currently being profiled,” the statement said.

Arrests

Meanwhile, the commission announced the arrest of 117 suspected internet fraudsters at the hotel in a later statement on Thursday.

“The suspects were arrested at Regional Hotel, Iyana- Ishasi, Lagos in a sting operation, following verified intelligence about their alleged involvement in computer-related fraud,” the statement stated.

The statement said operatives recovered items, including mobile phones, laptops and four cars from the suspects a the point of arrest on Thursday.

“They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the statement added.